Rodri surprisingly wins Golden Ball honors as the World Cup 2026’s best player, beating out Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe after Spain’s 1-0 extra-time dominant win over Argentina in the final. The 30 year old Manchester City midfielder led the tournament in successful passes, line-breaking passes, and total touches.
Messi however, settled for the Silver Ball after a quiet and long final where he failed to register a shot or assist for the first time in 12 World Cup matches. Mbappe claimed the Bronze Ball, while also securing the Golden Boot outright with 10 goals following a second-half brace in France’s third-place win over England.
Spain swept the individual honors after the dominant final, with goalkeeper Unai Simon winning the Golden Glove after conceding just one goal all tournament. Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi edged teammate Lamine Yamal for the Best Young Player award.
The win completes a remarkable comeback for Rodri, following his ruptured ACL injury just two years ago to lift both the World Cup and the award for its best player. “A player who touches the sky and then plummets to hell is also capable of rising again,” he said after the win.
