The 2026 World Cup is over, Spain won it all on Sunday afternoon for the second time in their history. Before the world cup was lifted by Rodri and the rest of La Roja, FIFA released its World Cup awards for many players.
Awards such as the Golden Ball, Golden Boot, and Golden Glove are important to recognize the best players during the tournament. And while some are based on statistics, arguments can exist over others. So, we go through the various FIFA World Cup awards, who won, and who might have won.
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Golden Ball
Original: Rodri (Spain)
Should have been: Kylian Mbappé (France)
Don’t sleep on Rodri. He was a formidable player during the tournament, leading Spain to the title. But the Golden Ball should have gone to Kylian Mbappé of France, who scored 10 goals and accelerated France under great pressure.
Silver Ball
Original: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
It should have been: Rodri (Spain)
Lionel Messi would probably have been awarded the Golden Ball again if Argentina had won, so he gets the Silver Ball. Rodri should have won the Silver Ball in this situation for what he did to help Spain win it all.
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Brass Ball
Original: Kylian Mbappé (France)
Should have been: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Mbappé settles for the Bronze Ball, but in a world where he wins the Golden Ball and Rodri the Silver Ball, Lionel Messi will be the winner of the Bronze Ball.
The Golden Boot
Original: Kylian Mbappé (France)
Should have been: Kylian Mbappé (France)
Mbappé scored 10 goals in the 2026 World Cup, tied for 3rd most in a single World Cup. He also added four assists. In the process, Mbappé became the first player to ever win the Golden Boot twice. The Golden Boot was his when he scored in the 3rd place match and Lionel Messi could not score in the final.
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The Golden Glove
Original: Unai Simón (Spain)
It should have been: Unai Simón (Spain)
There were some incredible goalkeeping performances in this tournament, but Unai Simón and his defense were historic. Spain have conceded only one goal in the World Cup, which is the lowest record in a single tournament. Of course, you had players like Vozinha and Eloy Room and even Emi Martinez who put in good matches. But, Simón has been the star and gave Spain every chance to win every game with his stops and his back line.
FIFA Young Player Award
Original: Pau Cubarsi (Spain)
Should have been: Désiré Doué (France)
Cubarsi started every game and played every minute of the World Cup, and the 19-year-old defender was solid in Spain’s defense. He ends up winning the Young Player award, but France’s Désiré Doué may have deserved it. He was strong in France and would be a worthy winner.
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FIFA Fair Play Award
Original: Netherlands
It should be: Norway
The Netherlands won the Fair Play Award by drawing only 3 yellow cards, 0 red cards, and only 41 fouls during the tournament. However, Norway had 3 yellow cards, 0 red cards and 58 fouls during their run to the quarterfinals, which was two more rounds than the Netherlands and their exit in the Round of 32. For that, Norway should have been the recipient of the Fair Play Award.
