Spain closed out the 2026 World Cup with a historic triumph, and the individual awards told the same story. The tournament in the United States had been billed as a last stand for a generation of veteran greats and a stage for the young stars coming through, and when FIFA's technical panel named the players who had stood out over the month, Spanish names kept coming up. Their dominance was clear on the pitch, and just as clear at the awards ceremony.
Rodri took the Golden Ball as the player of the tournament. The Spain midfielder earned it with eight matches of consistent, controlling football, a display the panel described as "masterful in midfield." In the vote he finished ahead of Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who was handed the Silver Ball, while France forward Kylian Mbappé claimed the Bronze Ball.
Mbappé had his own reward up front. He won the Golden Boot with 10 goals and four assists, and he needed just 769 minutes on the pitch to do it. The Silver Boot went to Messi, who finished with eight goals and four assists, and England's Jude Bellingham took the Bronze Boot with seven goals and one assist.
The Golden Glove went to Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón. He kept a clean sheet in seven of his eight matches, including the one that mattered most — the final against Argentina, which Spain won 1-0 in extra time.
The best young player was 19-year-old Spain defender Pau Cubarsí. He was central to a back line that conceded only one goal in the entire tournament. The award goes to players born on or after 1 January 2005.
The Fair Play prize, given for upholding the spirit of the game, went to the Netherlands. They earned it by finishing top of FIFA's Fair Play rankings.
