Winners and losers of the 2026 World Cup: From Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe lighting up the tournament and Spain's watertight defence to Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar's sad farewells and Christian Pu

The 2026 World Cup came to a close in New Jersey on Sunday as Spain were deservedly crowned champions after a dour 1-0 win over 10-man Argentina in one of the worst finals in the tournament history. La Roja substitute Ferran Torres scored the only goal of a game that was essentially attack versus defence even before Enzo Fernandez got himself stupidly sent off for a second yellow card in the final minute of normal time.

There were also ugly scenes after the final whistle blew, with Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes - who was lucky not to be dismissed himself during the match - lashing out at more than one Spanish player as they made their way onto the pitch to celebrate a victory that was founded upon disciplined defending and midfield mastery.