Updated July 20, 2026
World Cup 2026 awards: winners list after Spain's title
The World Cup 2026 awards are settled after Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time. Rodri won the Golden Ball, Kylian Mbappe won the Golden Boot, Unai Simon won the Golden Glove and Pau Cubarsi won Best Young Player.
Photo: Danilo Borges / copa2014.gov.br via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 BR; cropped for display.
Fast answer
Who won the World Cup 2026 awards?
Best player
Rodri wins Golden Ball
The award went to the player who best represented Spain's all-tournament control, not simply to the loudest final storyline.
Top scorer
Mbappe wins Golden Boot
The scoring award was settled by goals. Mbappe's late tournament surge left Messi behind after the final.
Spain depth
Spain also take goalkeeper and young player honors
Unai Simon and Pau Cubarsi turned Spain's 2026 title into a broader awards story.
Winners list
World Cup 2026 awards winners table
| Award | Winner | Team | What it means | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Ball | Rodri | Spain | Tournament best player | Spain won the final 1-0 after extra time, and Rodri's control, balance and defensive positioning became the clearest explanation for the award. |
| Golden Boot | Kylian Mbappe | France | Tournament top scorer | Mbappe finished on 10 goals after scoring twice in France's 6-4 third-place match loss to England. |
| Golden Glove | Unai Simon | Spain | Tournament best goalkeeper | Spain's title run was built on control and defensive reliability, and Simon finished the tournament as the goalkeeper award winner. |
| Best Young Player | Pau Cubarsi | Spain | Top young player award | Cubarsi gives Spain another post-final new-generation story beside Lamine Yamal and the senior core. |
Read the awards beside the final result. Spain's title explains the Golden Ball, Golden Glove and Best Young Player context; Mbappe's scoring table explains the Golden Boot.
Award guide
How to read the 2026 award split
Award context
Golden Ball is not the top-scorer award
Rodri winning the Golden Ball while Mbappe won the Golden Boot is the easiest way to understand the split: one award is about total tournament influence, the other starts with goals.
Award context
Champion-team context matters
Spain's 1-0 final win made its midfield and defensive structure the defining tournament story. That is why Rodri, Simon and Cubarsi all belong on the same post-final awards map.
Award context
Messi and Yamal remain storylines, not every award result
Messi's runner-up finish and Yamal's title role still drive interest, but the official awards should be read separately from the social-media player narrative.
Award context
Golden Boot tiebreakers still matter below first place
Goals decide the Golden Boot first, then assists and minutes if needed. Shootout goals after extra time do not count toward the award.
World Cup 2026 awards FAQ
Who won the World Cup 2026 Golden Ball?
Rodri won the World Cup 2026 Golden Ball, the tournament's best-player award, after Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time.
Who won the World Cup 2026 Golden Boot?
Kylian Mbappe won the World Cup 2026 Golden Boot after finishing as the tournament's top scorer with 10 goals.
Who won the World Cup 2026 Golden Glove?
Unai Simon won the World Cup 2026 Golden Glove as the tournament's best goalkeeper.
Who won the World Cup 2026 Best Young Player award?
Pau Cubarsi won the World Cup 2026 Best Young Player award.
Is the Golden Ball the same as the Golden Boot?
No. The Golden Ball is the tournament best-player award. The Golden Boot goes to the top scorer and is decided by goals, then tiebreakers if needed.
Did Messi or Lamine Yamal win a World Cup 2026 award?
Messi and Yamal were major final storylines, but the main official awards listed here went to Rodri, Mbappe, Unai Simon and Pau Cubarsi.
Read next
Go deeper on each award story
Golden Ball
Rodri Golden Ball result
Why Rodri won the best-player award after Spain's final win.
Golden Boot
Mbappe Golden Boot result
Final top-scorer table, Messi's total, assists and tiebreaker notes.
Champion
World Cup 2026 winner
Spain's title, final score, prize money, trophy ceremony and awards context.
Final
Spain vs Argentina final
Spain 1-0 Argentina, Ferran Torres' 106th-minute goal and final recap.
Player story
Messi vs Yamal
How the final's biggest player storyline fits beside the official awards.
Champion extras
World Cup championship rings
How Spain's title connects to FIFA's new winner rings.
Coverage trust
World Cup 2026 awards sources
Award results and final context are cross-checked against post-final reporting and official tournament references.
Official sources
Official FIFA references
FOX Sports: 2026 FIFA World Cup individual award winners
foxsports.com/stories/soccer/2026-fifa-world-cup-every-individual-award-winner
Economic Times: FIFA World Cup 2026 award winners list
m.economictimes.com/news/new-updates/fifa-world-cup-2026-award-winners-complete-list-check-who-won-golden-ball-golden-boot-silver-boot-and-more/articleshow/132504961.cms
AP: Spain beat Argentina in the World Cup 2026 final
apnews.com/article/4a3a8c93c0b21c1db866f7bd857f1c32
FIFA: Spain vs Argentina final statistics
fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/articles/spain-argentina-final-statistics
Wikimedia Commons: World Cup trophy ceremony image
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Award_ceremony_of_the_World_Cup_in_Brazil_06.jpg