Spain capped off their historic 2026 FIFA World Cup triumph by sweeping three of the tournament’s primary individual honors following a 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina at MetLife Stadium. Captain and midfielder Rodri was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s most outstanding player, edging out Argentina’s Lionel Messi and France’s Kylian Mbappé, who claimed the Silver and Bronze Balls respectively.
The accolade completes a remarkable comeback for Rodri following a severe knee injury, making him just the eleventh player in football history to win the World Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and the Ballon d’Or.
Goalkeeper Unai Simón secured the Golden Glove award after producing one of the most dominant defensive tournaments in World Cup history. Simón conceded just a single goal across eight matches and set a new tournament record with seven clean sheets, anchoring a Spanish defense that allowed the fewest goals ever by a World Cup champion.
Completing Spain’s individual sweep, 19-year-old Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí was named the Best Young Player of the tournament, edging out his teammate Lamine Yamal after starting every match and marshaling La Roja’s backline throughout their undefeated campaign.
