2026 World Cup Recap: Spain Beats Argentina for Title

20 de julio de 2026

Full 2026 FIFA World Cup recap: Spain's extra-time win over Argentina, every major award winner, the biggest storylines, and how the betting odds held up.

It all started at the Azteca with Mexico and South Africa last month, but after more than 30 days of exciting football games, the 2026 FIFA World Cup came to an end with a grand finish on Sunday afternoon.

The final saw Spain win their second World Cup title after beating the defending champions Argentina in an ill-tempered affair in New York/New Jersey. Spain came into the tournament as the favourites, according to odds from Housebets, and they lived up to that billing by going all the way.

Luis de la Fuente’s men’s win concludes what has been a great tournament ahead of the new European football season, which you can bet on at Housebets from this month.

However, while Spain’s win is the creme de la creme moment of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it was not the only major talking point from a wonderful tournament.

Here’s Housebets’ recap of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Spain defeat dirty Messi and Argentina

The 2026 World Cup will go down as one of the best in recent years, but the final was a big anticlimax, as only one team (Spain) came to play football. La Roja were the only side interested in entertaining fans, but Argentina’s horrible tactics and lack of sportsmanship made it a horrible viewing.

Lionel Scaloni’s men were more interested in making the clash more of a WWE event rather than a game of football. From the blast of the first whistle, it was clear that La Albiceleste’s tactics were to impose their physicality on Spain with no intention of playing football.

It worked initially as Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić gave the South Americans a free pass by not punishing them early in the game. However, he finally began to take charge of the game after handing out a yellow card to Lisandro Martinez in the 41st minute.

That did not stop the Argentines from playing dirty, though, as they continued in the same vein in the second half. However, there is a limit to which the referee can tolerate their shenanigans, and that came in the third minute of added time as Enzo Fernandez was finally given his marching orders for a foul on Pau Cubarsi.

Despite the red card, Argentina players refused to behave, with Messi even playing his part after attempting to get Marc Cucurella sent off.

Spain refused to take the bait, though, as they pressed ahead for the winner, which they eventually got in the 106th minute, courtesy of a strike from Ferran Torres.

Torres’ goal proved to be the only strike of the match as Spain added a second star to their crest.

FIFA 2026 World Cup Award Winners: Rodri beats Messi

Following their win, it was not a surprise to see Spain players win the big individual awards, too. Their captain, Rodri, surprisingly beat Messi to win the Golden Ball. Messi had been the odds favourite to win the award, but his non-show in the final meant Rodri beat him to it.

While Spain’s win was more of a collective, Rodri was the key piece in their success, as he was the engine who controlled the team.

Aside from Rodri, Pau Cubarsi and Unai Simón were also winners, with Cubarsi winning the Young Player of the tournament, while Simón won the Golden Glove. The two played a crucial role in defence, helping Spain concede just one goal all tournament.

Meanwhile, France’s Kylian Mbappé left with the Golden Boot after scoring ten goals to finish two ahead of Messi. Mbappé was level with Messi going into the final two games but pulled clear of the Barcelona legend after scoring two goals in the third-place match against England.

FIFA 2026 World Cup Biggest Storylines: Mbappe’s all-time record, Vozinha’s rise

One of the biggest questions coming into the World Cup was whether a new all-time World Cup scoring record would be set. Well, that question was duly answered, as we now have a new World Cup all-time top scorer, and his name is Mbappe.

The Real Madrid star was on 12 goals coming into this competition, but he totally obliterated Klose’s record after scoring ten goals to win the Golden Boot.

At one point, it looked like Messi would be the sole holder of the record as he was on 21 goals going into the final two games of the competition. However, Mbappe’s two goals in the third-place match took him to the top of the all-time standings after Messi failed to score in the final.

Still only 27, the former PSG star will most likely score more World Cup goals and pull further clear of his potential rivals.

Meanwhile, if Mbappe was expected to be one of the biggest stories, no one predicted that Vozinha’s life would turn around after the World Cup.

The Cape Verde goalkeeper was the biggest winner after his profile shot through the roof following his performance in the opener against Spain.

Vozinha was an unknown player coming into the tournament, but the 40-year-old leaves as one of the most popular players to play the competition. His Instagram followers rose from one million to 20 million, making him the most followed goalkeeper on the platform.

This World Cup has introduced him to newfound fame that will change his story for the rest of his life.

What next after the 2026 World Cup?

With the World Cup over, you must be wondering what other football competitions you can place bets on. Well, the good news is that we are just about 30 days away from the new 2026/2027 European football season.

The UEFA Champions League qualifiers have already started, but the big competitions like the Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 all start next month.

You can bet on all the games in these leagues at . In addition, you can also bet on the pre-season games featuring all of the biggest clubs in the world.

Also, you can bet on the winners of the next season's league champions, including the Premier League. Arsenal are currently the favourite to win it again next season, with the Gunners priced at 2.70 to win ahead of Manchester City, who are priced at 3.90.

Remember, Housebets remains the home of football betting, and that includes the Premier League, Champions League, Serie A and LaLiga.

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