On the eve of the Argentina-Spain final, the 2026 World Cup is set to close after a record 104 matches across six weeks in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. It has been the largest tournament in history, with 48 teams participating for the first time.
The expanded format delivered unforgettable surprises: Cape Verde held Spain in the group stage, 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha became a global star, while Congo and Curaçao exceeded all expectations. The underdogs proved that expanding the World Cup brought new stories to the global stage.
At the top of the scoring charts, Kylian Mbappé leads with 10 goals and an all-time record 22 career World Cup goals. Lionel Messi follows with 8. VAR controversies included disallowed goals for Germany, Croatia, and Egypt, while hydration breaks — introduced for the heat — were booed by fans and used as tactical timeouts by coaches.
