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Spain won their second men’s World Cup title after a 1-0 victory over then-defending champions Argentina to end a memorable run in which La Roja conceded just one goal in eight tournament matches.
The campaign began with a scoreless draw against Cape Verde, but Spain bounced back with a resounding 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia. The group stage ended with a 1–0 win over Uruguay to win Group H.
In the knockout rounds, Spain first defeated Austria 3-0 in the round of 16. It followed a 1-0 win over Portugal in the round of 16. In the quarter-finals, a 2-1 win over Belgium set up a magnificent semi-final showdown with France. It turned out to be a dominant 2-0 performance for Spain, followed by victory over Argentina in the final.
So what’s next for the players who led Spain to its World Cup victory?
As Golden Ball winner for the tournament’s best player, Rodri put on one masterclass after another as the team’s captain and do-it-all midfielder. He didn’t score a goal or log an assist, but his ability to contribute in both attack and defense made him an important piece in Spain’s puzzle. He becomes the seventh player to win the World Cup, a European Championship, a Champions League and a Ballon d’Or in his entire career.
Rodri currently plays for Manchester City, for whom he has won every major club title in his seven seasons there. He has now been linked with a move to Real Madrid.
Turning 19 during the tournament, Yamal didn’t quite live up to the hype coming into the summer as he recovered from a hamstring injury, but still showed why he will be a star player for years to come.
His only goal came in the win over Saudi Arabia, where he became the second player aged 18 or younger to score the opening goal in a World Cup match since Pelé in 1958. Yamal became the youngest player to win both the World Cup and the UEFA European Championship at 19 years and six days old. He also became the third-youngest player to appear in or win a World Cup final after Pelé and Giuseppe Bergomi.
Yamal returns to action with Barcelona after leading the club to back-to-back LaLiga titles. He will be involved in trying to help the Catalan club win their first Champions League trophy since 2015.
Another 19-year-old Barcelona phenom like Yamal, centre-back Pau Cubarsi was a stalwart in the backline for Spain as he was paired with veteran Aymeric Laporte in central defence. He became just the second player to complete more than 100 passes in a World Cup final.
Cubarsi was a deserved choice as the young player of the tournament. His World Cup winner’s medal follows his Olympic gold medal he earned with the Spanish U23 team at the 2024 Games in Paris.
Mikel Oyarzabal was not named as Spain’s leading scorer for the tournament with the likes of Lamine Yamal in the squad, but the Real Sociedad man ended the tournament as a surprise contender in the Ballon d’Or race with five goals.
Oyzarabal does not have the profile of a classic striker, but his ability to find space in Spain’s system of intricate passing and build-up made him the perfect point man for Luis de la Fuente’s side. Oyzarabal was already a key man for Spain in the 2024 EC title and provided the finishing touch all summer. His five goals equaled the record for most by a Spanish player in a single edition previously achieved by Emilio Butragueño and David Villa.
Oyarzabal returns to Real Socieded – the only club he has ever played professionally for – this season.
Unai Simón won the tournament’s Golden Glove award as top goalkeeper, although he wasn’t always the busiest man on the pitch.
He allowed just one goal in eight games – Charles De Ketelaere’s goal for Belgium in the quarter-finals was the only blemish – and in the final against Argentina he saw just two shots, neither on target. In total, Simón only had to make 14 saves in the tournament. Argentina’s Emiliano Martínez almost had to do as many in the final alone, finishing with 11.
Simón plays for Athletic Club in Bilbao, where he is one of LaLiga’s best goalkeepers.
