The 50 Best Moments Of The 2026 FIFA World Cup

The best World Cup ever ended with a final to remember.

For the second time ever, Spain is the world champion. The reigning European champions took down the reigning world champions, when Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute of the final to beat Argentina.

This tournament had it all – drama, late game-winners, golazos, legends and moments that we will never forget.

Here are the 50 best moments from the biggest World Cup ever.

Mora entered the tournament as a bit of an unknown, despite his clear and evident talent. 

Mora only played 24 minutes between Mexico’s first two games but started the final three, delivering a breakout performance in El Tri’s win over Ecuador in the round of 32. The 17-year-old bossed the game in midfield and established himself as a force for the national team for the foreseeable future.

The midfielder is currently at Tijuana in Liga MX, but he has been linked to some of Europe’s top clubs so far. There’s little doubt that Mora is going to be a key figure for El Tri for the foreseeable future.

Colombia brought incredible energy — on and off the pitch — to the FIFA World Cup. On the field, Cucho Hernández’s late tenacity against Uzbekistan summed it all up.

The forward, who came on as a substitute in the match, fought for the ball down the right wing and won the duel before whipping in a fantastic cross for Jaminton Campaz, who sealed the win with style.

Raúl Jiménez has scored all over the world for Mexico, but the 35-year-old had never done it at a World Cup. In Mexico’s opening-match win over South Africa, he finally found the back of the net.

In his fourth World Cup for El Tri, Jiménez got on the end of a cross from winger Roberto Alvarado and headed home the second goal of Mexico’s 2-0 win. His teammates knew what the goal meant to its talisman, whose celebrations were emotional in Mexico City. 

Erling Haaland captured attention during the 2026 World Cup by balancing his scoring output with an embrace of American culture. From leading the Viking row celebration with supporters to filming commercials with American celebrities, Haaland lived a summer he will never forget.

The Norway striker delivered on the pitch, as well. His run ultimately ended against England, but Haaland is in his prime and showed that Norway will be a threat in major tournaments moving forward.

Canada made its path in the knockout stage tougher by not winning its group, having lost to Switzerland in the final match of group play. That meant its round of 32 match against South Africa was played in Los Angeles instead of its home and native land.

LAFC midfielder Stephen Eustáquio stepped up in stoppage time and delivered a great strike in the bottom corner from just outside the 18-yard box, giving the Canadians their first-ever knockout-stage win at the World Cup.

DR Congo’s last World Cup appearance came in 1974, when it was known as Zaire. In that tournament, it did not score a goal.

The African nation faced a daunting task in its first match at the 2026 tournament against Portugal, but it more than held its own. Striker Yoane Wissa delivered a memorable moment with a goal just before halftime to make the game 1-1 after Portugal opened the scoring in the first 10 minutes. 

DR Congo ultimately qualified for the knockout stage with a win over Uzbekistan in its final group match before bowing out against England in the round of 32.

Cape Verde started its World Cup with a thrilling 0-0 draw against Spain that saw goalkeeper Vozinha become an international star. The African nation’s first goal didn’t come until its second game against Uruguay.

Midfielder Kevin Pina got a free kick from 35 yards out and let loose. He beat goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and delivered the first of many memorable moments for Cape Verde. Hélio Varela ultimately scored an equalizer in the 61st minute to seal a 2-2 draw that helped Cape Verde qualify for the knockout stage.

The stars shined during their first World Cup matches, with Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Lionel Messi all scoring multiple goals to open the tournament.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo was held scoreless against Cape Verde. He responded well, though, and scored twice against Uzbekistan. After the game, the 41-year-old global star told a TV camera, “I’m back,” to show he was looking to keep up with the game’s best attackers.

Yamal had plenty of attention on him entering this tournament. He has established himself as a star at Barcelona and was the go-to guy for Spain when it won Euro 2024. Still, he hadn’t played on the biggest stage in the world: the World Cup.

Against Saudi Arabia, at 18 years and 343 days old, Yamal became the youngest player from Spain to score in a World Cup, surpassing the previous record set by Gavi in 2022. He slid in at the back post and made history, scoring the first of three goals that La Roja netted in the first half against Saudi Arabia.

Ecuador entered its final group-stage match against Germany with a clear goal. It needed to beat Germany to advance to the knockout stage. Nothing less would suffice. It’s a daunting task against a team that entered the tournament in the top 10 of the FIFA World Rankings.

To make matters worse, Germany took the lead in the second minute. Nilson Angulo equalized in the ninth minute, though, before Gonzalo Plata scored the winner in the 77th minute. It was an incredible comeback that came at the best possible time for Ecuador.

Senegal was in control of its matchup with Belgium in the round of 32. Ismaila Sarr scored in the 51st minute to make it 2-0, and the European side looked like it had no answers.

Instead, Romelu Lukaku came on as a substitute and provided life with a goal in the 86th minute. Then, shockingly, midfielder Youri Tielemans rose highest and headed home the equalizer in the 89th. Later, in the fifth minute of stoppage time in extra time, Tielemans stepped up and buried a penalty for the winning goal.

Haaland became as big a star off the field as he did on it. Haaland had a great time going around America, but he also had a memorable interaction with a young child mascot before Norway’s win over Brazil.

The child did not see Haaland behind him, only for the striker to tap him on the shoulder to get his attention. That child loudly responded with, “HAALAND,” when he saw the superstar behind him.

Cape Verde played two 0-0 draws in the group stage, but the games were anything but snoozers. The first was against Portugal before a 2-2 draw against Uruguay.

Entering the final match against Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde couldn’t settle for another draw and feel confident about its chances of qualifying for the knockout stage. It did know that Uruguay needed a win and was facing Spain, which had to get all three points to win the group.

Goalkeeper Vozinha delivered another strong performance and Spain got its win. That result put Cape Verde through to the knockout stage, which set off amazing celebrations after the draw over Saudi Arabia.

We saw multiple thrilling penalty shootouts in the knockout stage of the World Cup. One of which saw Egypt advance to the round of 16 against Australia.

Misses from Australia’s Harry Souttar and Lucas Herrington secured the victory for the Pharaohs, who continued a great World Cup for African teams, nine of which qualified for the round of 32.

While Lamine Yamal made the headlines on the field during Spain’s run to the final, his 3-year-old brother became a star in his own right. 

Keyne Yamal became a popular figure on social media during Spain’s World Cup campaign with his great reactions in the stands and interactions with big brother’s teammates on the pitch.

This was always going to be a massive World Cup for the U.S. national team, and that journey started in Los Angeles. The atmosphere was electric before the match, and it was enhanced by country music duo Dan and Shay’s national anthem. 

Thierry Henry, Zlatan and Alexi Lalas were emotional after the performance, with the entire stadium joining in. On the pitch, the Americans built on that momentum to beat Paraguay 4-1. It started a run that captivated the nation until the team’s loss to Belgium in the round of 16.

Japan looked like it was going to give Brazil a big run for its money in the round of 32. The Japanese took the lead before Casemiro’s equalizer, but unfortunately for them, Brazil took control of the match as the second half progressed.

Just as it looked like Japan was going to reach extra time, substitute Gabriel Martinelli picked up the ball in the box and delivered a fantastic far-post finish to beat Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki. It was an exciting 95th-minute winner that ended the tournament for Japan, which had been one of the most exciting teams to watch in the group stage.

Japan’s exciting tournament started at Dallas Stadium against the Netherlands. The match was 0-0 at halftime before four second-half goals created a fantastic match that was one of the best of the group stage.

The match ended with Japanese fans picking up trash around the stadium afterward, helped by FOX correspondent and Giants quarterback Jameis Winston.

Many goalkeepers became stars during the tournament, and Curaçao’s Eloy Room had his moment during the group stage.

Ecuador was a dark horse entering the World Cup, known for its impressive defense and physical style. Going forward, though, there were questions. Against Curaçao, the Ecuadorians created quality chances but couldn’t beat Room. His 15 saves tied a World Cup record for the most in a 90-minute match at the World Cup.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. That man in the knockout stages was Merino.

The Arsenal midfielder is a bit of a do-it-all guy for Spain. In this tournament, he has been needed off the bench when a goal is required.

First, he came on in the 85th minute against Portugal and scored six minutes later for a 1-0 win in the round of 16. Then, against Belgium in the quarterfinals, he came on in the 86th minute and scored in the 88th.

Canada had its greatest World Cup victory after one of its worst moments. Midfielder Ismael Kone suffered a broken leg against Qatar that saw him carted off when Canada led 3-0 in the 56th minute. Qatar’s Assim Madibo was given a red card, putting that team down to 10 men.

From there, Canada continued its impressive performance and scored three more times. The game finished at 6-0, with Canada whipping out tributes to the midfielder after its final goals. The scoreline was incredible, but the circumstances surrounding it weren’t ideal for the team.

Haaland entered this tournament having scored in the biggest tournaments in club soccer. He had a reputation as one of the best players in the world. He had not played at a World Cup, though.

Norway’s first game was against Iraq, and the Manchester City star scored twice. It was a classic Haaland performance, with the striker finding himself in the right place at the right time multiple times. It also teed off a tournament to remember for Haaland, who made himself an even bigger star than he already was.

Mbappé entered the tournament with a spotlight on him. In his third World Cup, he had the chance to win it for the second time.

After four goals and two assists in his three group-stage games, Mbappé netted twice against Sweden. The first goal was brilliant, as he sat Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres down with a quick dribble before firing a laser into the far post. Michael Olise assisted the second goal, which made it 3-0 and sealed a convincing win for France.

Norway vs. Ivory Coast was wild. First, Norway winger Antonio Nusa delivered a peach of a goal with a curling effort in the first half. Then, Ivorian winger Amad Diallo’s fantastic control and finish made it 1-1 in the second.

The decisive moment came from Haaland. Midfielder Patrick Berg made a great run into the box and put the ball on a platter for the striker, whose final touch wasn’t hugely convincing but got the job done and put the ball in the back of the net.

The best matchup of the round of 32 saw 2022 semifinalist Morocco face the Netherlands. The Dutch took a lead through Cody Gakpo in the second half and looked like they were going to get an impressive victory to advance.

Then, Morocco shockingly equalized. Chemsdine Talbi delivered a wonderful cross from the left wing that met the head of center back Issa Diop. It was an amazing moment that led to a penalty shootout that saw the Dutch miss three of their five penalties.

In each of their final group stage matches, Austria and Algeria knew one point would be enough for both to advance to the knockout rounds. A 0-0 draw would have sufficed. But neither side could help itself. 

Austria started the scoring in the 28th minute, but Algeria answered on the precipice of halftime. Then Marcel Sabitzer restored Austria’s lead in the 55th minute, and five minutes later Riyad Mahrez brought the match back level. Again, they could have stopped there, and held the ball for a 2-2 draw. And for 30 minutes, it seemed as if that would be the case. But, seemingly out of nowhere, in the third minute of injury time, Mahrez rushed forward and put Austria ahead, jeopardizing its place in the knockout round. Miraculously, Austria found another equalizer with Sasa Kalajdzic’s header in the sixth minute of injury time. 

What was expected to be a draw eventually found its way there, maybe in the most unorthodox way. 

The World Cup opening match was a coronation for Mexico. It featured an opening ceremony and raucous Mexico fans supporting their side. It didn’t take long for Mexico to reward them as Julian Quiñones pounced on a South Africa turnover and attempted a shot that nutmegged goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.

Cristiano Ronaldo failed to score and lift Portugal over Spain as his World Cup story came to an end with a 1-0 defeat in the round of 16. But before he went out, Ronaldo scored his first-ever goal in a World Cup knockout round game — against Croatia in the round of 32. He left as Portugal’s all-time leading goalscorer.

Jude Bellingham was the best player on the pitch in England’s 2-1 win over Norway to advance to the World Cup semifinal. Just ahead of halftime, he latched onto Morgan Rogers’ through ball and dribbled around a pair of Norway defenders to tie the score at one. Then in the second half, his hustle paid off as he followed a shot toward goal and pounced on the rebound to put England ahead for good. 

Not everyone would have gone for goal in this situation — dribbling outside the box in the World Cup quarterfinal tied at one in extra time. But Julián Alvarez had the confidence to attempt the shot, and the class to execute a curling banger. Alvarez’s goal broke the deadlock before Lautaro Martinez added an insurance goal that helped Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 and advance to the semifinals.

Two Real Madrid legends, two international legends — for their nations Portugal and Croatia — in Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić faced off in the round of 32. It produced one of the most exciting matches of the tournament. Ronaldo scored his first-ever World Cup knockout round goal, with a penalty that tied the match at one.

Portugal grabbed the lead on Gonçalo Ramos’ header in the fourth minute of injury time. Then Croatia nearly answered. In the 12th minute of injury time, the ball took multiple deflections in the box before Joško Gvardiol tapped a rebound into the net. However, the goal was disallowed, as VAR ruled Igor Matovič touched and directed the ball onto Mario Pašalić in an offside position, before he took the shot that led to Gvardiol’s rebound. 

Portugal escaped and advanced to the round of 32, ending Modrić and Croatia’s run. 

Maybe the most exciting and controversial match of the 2026 World Cup came in the round of 16 clash between Argentina and Egypt. Egypt stunned everyone, jumping out to a 2-0 lead on Moustafa Ziko’s 67th minute goal. But Argentina is never out until the final whistle blows, and that proved true. Cristian Romero scored a header. Lionel Messi banged a shot off the crossbar and in. Then in the third minute of injury time, Enzo Fernández finished a counter-attack with a decisive header. 

The controversy came when Egypt’s original second goal was disallowed after VAR ruled there was a foul in the build. But when Fernández scored a goal after a build-up that seemingly included a foul on Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, nothing was done. Thus, Argentina advanced to the quarterfinals.

Kylian Mbappé celebrated his first goal of the World Cup by mimicking playing a flute, a gesture stemming from a pre-tournament interview with “After Hours” host James Corden. After finding the back of the net, Mbappé ran to the corner flag and started playing an imaginary flute with his hands, which made the rounds on social media afterward.

The United States opened its World Cup campaign with a bang, jumping out to a 3-0 lead at halftime against Paraguay. Folarin Balogun introduced himself to fans with a brace in the first 45 minutes. The U.S. went on to win 4-1, prompting legends Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thierry Henry to tell fans, “start believing.”

FOX Sports analyst Alexi Lalas praised the display, calling the first half the federation’s greatest half of group play in World Cup history. 

England earned bronze at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but its journey was nearly ended in the round of 32. DR Congo took the lead in the seventh minute against England, and goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi seemed unbeatable. But striker Harry Kane wouldn’t be denied. In the matter of 11 minutes, he flipped the game, scoring in the 75th and 86th minute to save England and set up a match with Mexico in the round of 16.

Malik Tillman delivered one of the goals of the tournament when he stepped up to a set piece from 20 yards out and knuckle-balled a shot over Bosnia and Herzegovina’s wall. The sublime free kick gave the U.S. a 2-0 lead in the 82nd minute, helping to lift it into the round of 16. 

Tillman was arguably the strongest player for the U.S. at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scoring another free kick in the United States’ 4-1 loss to Belgium and holding down the midfield throughout the tournament. 

Paraguay completed one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history and became the lowest FIFA-ranked team to win a knockout round match at the 2026 World Cup, when it defeated Germany in penalty kicks. It’s an achievement alone to take down legendary goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in a penalty shootout, but to do it for a spot in the round of 16 is another level. José Canale scored the winning penalty kick for Paraguay.

It had been almost 30 years since Scotland made its last appearance in a men’s FIFA World Cup. That means a whole generation of futbol fans, unaware of the lore behind the Tartan Army. But, boy, did that chance. Despite their side going out in the group stage, Scotland’s supporters, known as the Tartan Army, became a prominent storyline of the World Cup with their presence in the host cities. Tens of thousands of Scottish fans traveled to North America, bringing a nonstop party across the continent.

In Norway’s 2-1 victory over Brazil in the round of 16, Haaland felt inevitable. He lurked around Brazil’s defenders, waiting for his moment to pounce. For 78 minutes, Brazil thought it had warded him off, but as the game progressed, so did Haaland’s class. He scored in the 79th minute to give Norway the lead. 

Then, in the 90th minute, Haaland unleashed a shot attempt from an angle and distance no other player would dare shoot from. It screamed along the ground, diagonally across the box and beat Brazil goalkeeper Allison to the far post. Haaland’s brace took Norway’s magical run into the quarterfinals. 

The Norwegian national team popularized a unique post-victory celebration during the World Cup, performing a synchronized rowing motion on the pitch after their wins. The celebration was mimicked by fans and other national teams, as Spanish fans performed the Viking row after beating Spain in the semifinal. Fans also brought the Viking row to New York City’s Times Square. It was most famously led by Erling Haaland and the Norweigan national team after the win against Brazil with Martin Odegard banging the drum.

Mexico City became the center of celebrations as El Tri defeated Ecuador in the round of 32. Ecuador was supposed to boast a sturdy defense, but Mexico punctured it early, scoring in the 22nd and 31st minute. 

Then Mexico fell back on its home fans who roared throughout the second half, motivating the players to keep Ecuador away from goal. Mexico maximized its home-field advantage at the iconic Mexico City Stadium, winning both group stage matches played there before knocking out Ecuador, all while not conceding a goal up to that point.

Lionel Messi became the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history, but he didn’t finish the tournament with that crown.

Messi got up to 21 goals in his World Cup career, but the absolutely bananas third-place game saw Mbappé score twice to get to 22 career goals on the world’s biggest stage. He has scored all of those goals in just three tournaments.

There’s no doubt Mbappé, who just turned 27, will build upon that record as long as he stays fit and in the France team.

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha went from unknown to a household name after keeping a clean sheet in a scoreless draw against Spain in the group stage. Following the match, Vozinha’s social media accounts experienced a massive increase in followers, transforming the veteran goalkeeper into the viral figure of the group stage.

Over the course of the 2026 World Cup, he gained almost 30 million Instagram followers. Vozinha also appeared on “After Hours with James Corden” on June 30.

As the full-time whistle blew at Seattle Stadium confirming that the U.S. had clinched a spot in the 2026 World Cup knockout rounds, John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” sounded. Players and fans around the stadium joined in a serenade. The moment, unintentionally, turned the song into U.S. soccer’s theme song. So it was brought back for the United States’ win against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32. 

After winning the 2022 World Cup, many believed Lionel Messi was done with World Cup futbol. When he arrived at the 2026 World Cup after three seasons in the MLS, many thought he would be at another stage of his career. That was quickly proven wrong. Messi dissected Algeria’s defense for goals in the 17th, 60th and 76th minutes. His looping long shot in the 60th minute remains one of the goals of the tournament. 

England showed the world a different side of itself in its 3-2 win over Mexico. It went into Mexico City Stadium, playing in front of jeering fans, and jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to a brace from Jude Bellingham. But when adversity hit, and England went a man down, it didn’t fade. Forced to defend a one-goal lead with a one-man disadvantage for more than 20 minutes of regulation, England dropped back, created a wall and cleared cross after cross from Mexico. Afterward, FOX Sports’ Peter Crouch celebrated with Harry Kane on the pitch.

It seemed like France was going to be unstoppable at the World Cup. Kylian Mbappé was scoring left and right, and the French attack was full of other superstars that made it seem like an unstoppable force.

Then, that unstoppable force met an immovable object: Spain’s defense.

Lamine Yamal was fouled for a penalty in the first half, which Mikel Oyarzabal scored, and then right back Pedro Porro stepped up for a shocking second goal that put Spain in control. La Roja rolled to the final whistle and a spot in the finals.

Sidny Lopes Cabral seemed to be in an innocent position, dribbling the ball on the wing as Cape Verde didn’t have numbers on the attack. But he went for goal out of nowhere, curling a strike around Emiliano Martínez and finding the top corner. Lopes Cabral, seemingly astonished by his own abilities, ran around the pitch and into the stands to celebrate with Cape Verde’s fans. The goal, stunningly, brought Cape Verde and Argentina level in extra time. 

“Cape Verde. Thank you, on behalf of the world. You made us dream and watch your dreams lived out in real time. We’ll never forget you,” Fox Sports analyst Stu Holden said in a post-match tribute to the debutants.

England was battle-tested entering its semifinal matchup against Argentina. The Three Lions got the opening goal and looked like they were ready to park the bus and defend.

They hadn’t faced a force like Argentina, though. Argentina went to extra time to beat Cape Verde, had to overcome a two-goal deficit to beat Egypt, and then more extra time to beat Switzerland in the quarterfinals.

Messi registered two assists in the 85th and 92nd minutes to knock out England in spectacular fashion. Atlanta Stadium couldn’t believe what it saw as Argentina sealed a spot in its second straight World Cup final.

Spain dominated Argentina, but it took 106 minutes to score.

It looked like Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez was not going to be beaten for most of the game. He had 11 saves, the most in a final on record (since 1966).

Ultimately, two substitutes combined for Spain. Winger Nico Williams put a header right in the middle of the 18-yard box and striker Ferran Torres delivered an impressive finish for the winning goal.

It took 117 minutes for Argentina to get its first shot of the game, and there were some tense moments late for La Roja. Ultimately, Spain finished the tournament having conceded just one goal en route to a second world championship.