FIFA World Cup 2026: Biggest and best records broken as Spain defeat Argentina
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is over, with Spain lifting the trophy after a tense final showdown with Argentina.
The Spanish national team claimed their second ever World Cup win, dethroning 2022 champs Argentina with a 1-0 score at New York New Jersey Stadium in USA on Sunday night.
With the most matches at a FIFA World Cup tournament – 104 across USA, Canada and Mexico – it’s no wonder that a huge number of records have fallen this time around.
Between the fight to score the most World Cup goals ever to a record-breaking clean sheet, here are the biggest records broken at the international tournament this year.
Lionel Messi on fire
Despite his team finishing in second place, Argentina’s Lionel Messi claimed some iconic records for himself.
With a total of nine, he earns the title of most consecutive FIFA World Cup matches scored in by a player.
His reign includes goals scored between 3 December 2022 and this 7 July.
Messi also extended his record for most FIFA World Cup matches played in by an individual to 34 and became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the FIFA World Cup when, at age 38 years 357 days, he scored three goals against Algeria.
The most goals ever
Messi and France’s Kylian Mbappé had their own contest going on, but in the end, it was Mbappé who secured the most FIFA World Cup finals goals by a football player with a total of 22 – scoring in games in 2018, 2022 and this year.
His teammate Michael Olise also played a major role in the tournament, achieving the most assists by a football player at a FIFA World Cup tournament with a total of seven.
Read about more sporting records in our dedicated Sports and Fitness section.
Only one goal conceded
Spain’s goalkeeper Unai Simón takes home the record for longest FIFA World Cup clean sheet, not letting a goal in between 1 December 2022 and this 10 July.
The team conceded only one goal throughout the whole 2026 tournament, proving them to be worthy winners.
Never too old
Cape Verde’s Vozinha – born Josimar Dias – became the oldest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in a FIFA World Cup debut when he stopped Spain scoring any goals in their showdown on 15 June. He was aged 40 years 12 days.
Most tournament goals
And finally, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo extended his record for most FIFA World Cup tournaments scored in by a player to six, with goals in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026.
The 2030 World Cup is set to be jointly held by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain and will mark the 100th anniversary of the first ever tournament in 1930, when hosts Uruguay won.
See what records we predicted would fall in the 2026 World Cup in our special episode of podcast What’s The Record?
Get the lowdown on the best records from the 2026 World cup and loads more in the Guinness World Records Football Edition 2027 - out later this year.
Header image: Walid Ibrahim/JNA via ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock