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Reports, analysis and guides from our coverage
'The pain is huge': Messi's message after losing the 2026 World Cup final
A day after Argentina's defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, Lionel Messi broke his silence with an emotional message on social media: 'The pain is huge and this wound will be hard to heal.' The captain, who scored eight goals at the tournament, thanked an entire country, congratulated Spain on the title and left his international future up in the air.
How much each nation earns at the 2026 World Cup: Spain take $50m and the podium cashes in too
The 2026 World Cup has handed out not only glory but the biggest prize pot in FIFA history. Champions Spain will bank $50 million —$20m more than the $30m they earned for winning South Africa 2010— but they are not the only ones cashing in: runners-up Argentina take $33 million, third-placed England $29m and fourth-placed France $27m. In all, FIFA will share $655 million among the 48 teams, 50% more than at Qatar 2022.
The 2026 World Cup team of the tournament: from Mbappé and Messi to Dibu's wall
What would the best XI of the 2026 World Cup be, according to the data? We have picked a 4-3-3 with Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappé and a Lionel Messi who was named MVP in seven matches up front, the champions' spine (Rodri, Porro, Cubarsí) and, in goal, an Emiliano 'Dibu' Martínez who was the best player in the final despite losing it. Managed by Luis de la Fuente. This is our team of the tournament, and why.
The 2026 World Cup by numbers: 308 goals, the biggest win and the four shootouts
The first 48-team World Cup produced 308 goals in 104 matches —an average of 2.96 per game—, 55 clean sheets, 15 penalties converted in open play and just 14 sendings-off. The wildest game was the 4-6 between France and England in the third-place play-off (ten goals), and the most emphatic wins were Germany's 7-1 over Curaçao and Canada's 6-0 against Qatar. Four ties were decided on penalties. We review the tournament in figures.
The Golden Boot is Mbappé's: the top scorers of the 2026 World Cup
Kylian Mbappé takes the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot with ten goals, even though France went out in the semi-finals: his brace in the third-place play-off was enough to edge Lionel Messi, who finished second on eight. Behind them come Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland on seven. In the assist charts, Michael Olise leads with seven. We review who scored and who created the goals at the tournament.
Spain's road to a second star: how La Roja conquered the 2026 World Cup, game by game
Spain are world champions for the second time, and they have done it with the hallmark of the greatest generation in their history: eight games, seven wins and a single draw, fourteen goals for and just one against. De la Fuente built a side of possession, pressing and patience that grew as the tournament went on —from the opening 0-0 against Cape Verde to the 1-0 over Argentina in the final— and that found a hero whenever it needed one: Merino in stoppage time, Oyarzabal from the spot, Porro, and substitutes Nico Williams and Ferrán Torres in New York. We review La Roja's full run, their best moments and the keys to their football.