Spain win 2026 World Cup, Africa shows progress

Spain secured their victory in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, defeating reigning champions Argentina 1-0 in a closely contested final at MetLife Stadium. The tournament, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, was the largest in its 96-year history, expanding to 48 teams and featuring 104 matches.

Several individual records fell during the competition. France's Kylian Mbappé surpassed Lionel Messi to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup finals history with 22 goals. Michael Olise of France set a new record for assists with seven, while Cristiano Ronaldo scored in his sixth consecutive final, and Messi, at 38, became the oldest player to score a hat-trick.

The tournament also marked a significant milestone for African football, with 10 nations qualifying, a substantial increase from the usual five. Nine of these teams progressed beyond the group stage. Cape Verde, making their debut, notably reached the knockout rounds and pushed eventual champions Argentina to extra time in a thrilling 3-2 encounter. Egypt also achieved a historic feat, scoring multiple goals and advancing to the round of 32, where they were narrowly defeated by Argentina after leading 2-0.