Before a ball was kicked at the 2026 World Cup, the shortlist of favourites was short and familiar: Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Spain. One of those five was going to win it, and most people in Bangladesh were hoping it would be the one in blue and white.
It was Spain. They beat Argentina 1–0 in extra time in the final at MetLife Stadium on 19 July, with Ferran Torres scoring in the 106th minute. Here is how the pre-tournament favourites actually did, who the players of the tournament turned out to be, and what it looked like from Dhaka.
Argentina: so close to history
No country outside South America follows Argentina like Bangladesh does. Flags on rooftops in Dhaka, jerseys in every market, streets that empty when they kick off. So this one hurt.
Argentina were trying to become the first team to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962. They were not always convincing — Cabo Verde, a debutant nation of 500,000 people, took them to 3–2 in the Round of 32 — but they kept finding a way. In the semi-final against England they scored twice late to win 2–1.
In the final they ran into a Spain side that would not break, and a night where their own goalkeeper was the best player on the pitch. Emiliano Martínez made 11 saves, a record for a World Cup final. It still was not enough. Torres scored in extra time and Argentina’s reign ended one match short.
Messi finished with the Silver Ball and the Silver Boot — second-best player and second-highest scorer at the tournament, at what was almost certainly his last World Cup. A remarkable way to go out, and a brutal one.
Spain: the favourites nobody quite trusted
Spain were among the favourites, but their tournament began with a 0–0 draw against Cabo Verde — hardly the start of a champion. They recovered to top Group H with seven points and got sharper with every round, beating France 2–0 in the semi-final before edging Argentina in the final.
It is their second World Cup, sixteen years after 2010, and they swept the individual awards: Rodri took the Golden Ball as player of the tournament, Unai Simón the Golden Glove, and Pau Cubarsí was named best young player.
France: the Golden Boot without the trophy
France went out to Spain in the semi-finals, but Kylian Mbappé left with the Golden Boot for the second tournament running — 10 goals, and the only man in history to win the award twice. He also took the Bronze Ball. On individual numbers he was the striker of the tournament; on results, he watched the final from home.
England: late heartbreak again
England reached the semi-finals and were beaten 2–1 by Argentina, conceding twice late. Jude Bellingham finished with the Bronze Boot as the third-highest scorer, which will be small comfort.
The teams nobody had on their list
The pre-tournament favourites piece nobody wrote was the one about the underdogs, and this is where the 2026 World Cup will actually be remembered.
Cabo Verde
A first-ever World Cup, a population of just over 500,000, a world ranking of 67. They drew all three group games — including 0–0 with Spain — finished second in Group H ahead of Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, and then pushed Argentina to 3–2 in the Round of 32. The best story of the tournament by a distance.
Paraguay
Paraguay knocked out Germany in the Round of 32, 4–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw. Julio Enciso headed them in front before half-time; Kai Havertz equalised. In the shootout goalkeeper Orlando Gill saved two penalties. Four-time world champions, gone in the first knockout round.
Morocco
Morocco beat the Netherlands 3–2 on penalties after equalising in the first minute of stoppage time through Diop, then beat Canada in the Round of 16 — continuing the run they started in Qatar.
Full award list
| Award | Player | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Ball | Rodri | Spain |
| Silver Ball | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
| Bronze Ball | Kylian Mbappé | France |
| Golden Boot (10 goals) | Kylian Mbappé | France |
| Silver Boot | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
| Bronze Boot | Jude Bellingham | England |
| Golden Glove | Unai Simón | Spain |
| Young Player | Pau Cubarsí | Spain |
What the favourites list got right and wrong
Right: the winner came from the shortlist, and four of the five pre-tournament favourites reached at least the semi-finals. Wrong: almost nobody predicted Germany and the Netherlands going out in the Round of 32, or a debutant nation of half a million people finishing above Uruguay.
That is the 48-team format’s real effect. The best teams still tend to win, but there are now two extra knockout matches in which anything can happen — and in 2026, it did.
Watching football after the World Cup
Domestic leagues and continental competitions run all year, and the next international window is never far away. Krira TV streams live football and cricket free on Android, with several server links per match so you can switch instead of sitting through a frozen stream. Download the latest APK, or follow the installation guide first if you have not installed an APK before.