Following a dominant performance in the semifinal against France, the Spanish national team delivered an equally dominant performance Sunday evening in the World Cup final, at the end of which it was crowned world champion with a 1–0 victory over Argentina. Although the victory came only after extra time and by a single-goal margin, the superiority of the new world champion over its predecessor was unmissable from the first moment.
Media outlets in Argentina conceded that Spain is a worthy champion and expressed pride in their national team, which "gave everything." Across the rest of the world, observers were less forgiving toward the Albiceleste (the Argentine national team), which attempted to score only after conceding a goal and reached its first real chance only toward the end of extra time. Toni Kroos, the former Real Madrid star who defeated Argentina with Germany in the 2014 World Cup final, posted on X two words that said it all: "Football won."
Argentina set a negative record in the final with zero shots on target compared to 12 from Spain, most of which goalie Emiliano Martínez managed to handle. Head coach Lionel Scaloni had no choice but to admit, "We gave everything, but Spain was better than us."
Beyond winning the World Cup and achieving eternal glory, the winner of the 2026 World Cup final, the Spanish national team, will also claim an unprecedented cash prize. FIFA will distribute a record total of $727 million across the current tournament – a 50% increase compared to the 2022 World Cup – with the champion pocketing $50 million.
The funds will be transferred to the football association of the winning country, and from there will be divided among the players, professional staff, and other entities. According to The Athletic, a portion of the money may also be directed toward developing football within the country.
The runner-up in the final will not leave empty-handed either, receiving $33 million. England, which won the third-place match, will receive $29 million, while France, which finished in fourth place, will settle for $27 million.
The remaining national teams also benefited from substantial payouts. The four teams eliminated in the quarterfinal stage will receive $19 million each, teams knocked out in the round of 16 will get $15 million, those eliminated in the first knockout stage will receive $11 million, and teams that failed to advance from the group stage will receive $9 million.
Additionally, FIFA awarded each of the 48 national teams that qualified for the tournament a $1.5 million grant intended to cover preparation expenses for the World Cup. In total, FIFA will distribute $727 million as part of the 2026 World Cup – an amount representing a 50% increase compared to the $485 million distributed at the 2022 World Cup.
