Rodri takes Golden Ball as Spain sweep World Cup honors
Spain beat Argentina 1-0 for the 2026 World Cup, then collected three major individual awards after the final at MetLife Stadium.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Spain left MetLife Stadium with the World Cup trophy and a pile of individual silverware to match.
After a 1-0 win over Argentina on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, ESPN News Services reported that Spain collected three major tournament honors: Rodri won the Golden Ball, Unai Simón took the Golden Glove and Pau Cubarsí was named Best Young Player.
The victory gave Spain its second World Cup title, according to the report. The final went beyond regulation, with Spain edging Argentina after extra time.
Rodri tops Messi for the main prize
Rodri, Spain’s captain and Manchester City midfielder, was named the tournament’s best player after guiding Spain through its title run. He did not score at the World Cup, but ESPN reported that his passing and command of possession were key to Spain’s style.
Lionel Messi finished with the Silver Ball after leading Argentina to a second straight final at age 39. Messi had been chasing a third Golden Ball, which would have extended his own record. ESPN noted he remains the only player to win the award more than once since it was introduced in 1978.
France forward Kylian Mbappé was awarded the Bronze Ball.
“This group is incredible,” Rodri said, according to ESPN. “We are two-time world champions. It's a tough feat, the hardest one to achieve. And we won it against a team like Argentina.”
The award added another major entry to Rodri’s résumé after his 2024 Ballon d’Or win and a recovery from a ruptured ACL nearly two years earlier.
“I'm proud and I would love for new generations to see that it is possible,” Rodri said, according to ESPN. “That a player who touches the sky and then plummets to hell is also capable of rising again. It is an example of overcoming adversity, and you have to believe. Honestly, it's incredible.”
ESPN reported that Rodri became the 11th man to win the World Cup, the UEFA Champions League and the Ballon d’Or.
Spain’s defense gets its flowers
Simón’s Golden Glove came after a record-setting tournament in goal. ESPN reported that he kept seven clean sheets and conceded only one goal across eight matches.
Cubarsí won the Best Young Player Award, beating out Spain teammate Lamine Yamal. Both players are 19, according to the report.
Mbappé also left the tournament with an individual prize. ESPN reported that he won the Golden Boot after producing 10 goals and four assists for France, which finished fourth.
Messi ended the World Cup with eight goals and four assists. ESPN reported that Sunday’s final was the first time in his past 12 World Cup matches that he did not record either a goal or an assist.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.