Press and play: On the FIFA World Cup 2026

Spain’s second World Cup title , achieved after a narrow extra-time victory over Argentina in the final, was a triumph of the collective. The Luis de la Fuente-coached outfit conceded just one goal in eight matches, was unmatched in the centre of the pitch with playmaker and Golden Ball winner Rodri completing a record 790 passes, and exhibited diffused excellence up front by having seven different players score its 14 goals. So much so that even the individual brilliance of the teenaged Lamine Yamal was astutely subsumed within the whole. In fact, de la Fuente and Rodri had combined to deliver the 2024 European Championship too, with the latter adjudged the world’s best later that year. A second Ballon d’Or for the 30-year-old midfield metronome appears a certainty. The win also cemented Spain’s position as the pre-eminent footballing force of the first quarter of this century.