Who Won the FIFA Golden Ball? Complete World Cup 2026 Awards Winners List
- Spain won the 2026 FIFA World Cup final against Argentina, with Ferran Torres scoring the winner in the 106th minute
- Kylian Mbappé claimed the Golden Boot prize with 10 goals, while Rodri beat Lionel Messi to the Golden Ball award
- Spain swept several individual honours, with Unai Simon, Pau Cubarsi, and the Fair Play award adding to their triumph
Spain's historic triumph at the 2026 FIFA World Cup was followed by the announcement of the tournament's top individual honours, with FIFA recognising the players who produced the most outstanding performances across the 104 matches.
The awards ceremony at MetLife Stadium in New York, New Jersey, saw several stars rewarded for their contributions, including the Golden Ball, Golden Boot, Golden Glove and Young Player awards.
Source: Getty Images
YEN.com.gh has compiled the full list of winners from the 2026 World Cup.
World Cup 2026: Every FIFA award winner listed
Golden Ball - Rodri
Spain captain Rodri was named the best player of the tournament, winning the Golden Ball after being selected by accredited media and FIFA's technical study group shortlist.
Lionel Messi finished as runner-up, falling short of becoming the first player in World Cup history to win the award three times.
No footballer had previously claimed the honour more than twice, highlighting the significance of what would have been a record-breaking achievement for the Argentina captain.
Golden Boot - Kylian Mbappé
France forward Kylian Mbappé claimed the Golden Boot after finishing as the tournament's leading scorer with 10 goals.
According to BBC Sport, the 27-year-old surpassed his own record of eight goals from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to become the first player to win the award twice.
Two of his goals came during France's thrilling 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place playoff, allowing him to finish ahead of Messi, who ended the competition with eight goals after failing to score in the final.
Golden Glove - Unai Simón
Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón won the Golden Glove after an outstanding campaign between the posts.
The Athletic Club shot-stopper conceded just one goal in eight appearances, replacing Argentina's Emiliano Martínez as the holder of the award.
His achievement continued a recent trend, with four of the last five Golden Glove winners representing the eventual world champions.
Young Player Award - Pau Cubarsí
Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí was crowned the tournament's best young player, beating teammate Lamine Yamal to the prize.
According to FOX Sports, the award, introduced in 2006, recognises the most impressive player aged under 21 at the World Cup.
Fair Play Award - The Netherlands
The Netherlands collected the Fair Play Award after being recognised as the team with the best disciplinary record and sporting conduct throughout the tournament.
Had Spain clinched the prize, it would have moved La Roja level with Brazil on four Fair Play awards, the most in World Cup history.
Goal of the Tournament - Julián Álvarez
Argentina forward Julián Álvarez won Goal of the Tournament for his spectacular strike against Switzerland in the quarter-finals.
His effort received 37.2 per cent of the public vote, beating Andreas Schjelderup's goal against England (22.3 per cent) and Enzo Fernández's long-range strike from the same match (18.2 per cent).
World Cup winners to receive gold rings
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that FIFA will award custom rings to the 2026 World Cup winners for the first time.
Only 30 rings will be presented to the champions, while the remaining 1,996 will be sold as official merchandise.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
