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Spain won its second men’s World Cup title following a 1-0 win over then-defending champions Argentina to cap off a memorable run in which La Roja only conceded one goal in eight tournament matches.
The campaign began with a scoreless draw against Cape Verde but Spain rebounded with a resounding 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia. The group stage concluded with a 1-0 win over Uruguay to clinch Group H.
In the knockout rounds, Spain first defeated Austria 3-0 in the round of 32. That folllowed a 1-0 win over Portugal in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, a 2-1 over Belgium set up a blockbuster semifinals clash with France. It turned out to be dominant 2-0 performance for Spain, followed by the win over Argentina in the final.
So what’s next for the players who led Spain to its World Cup victory?
As the Golden Ball winner for the tournament’s best player, Rodri put one masterclass after another as the team’s captain and do-everything midfielder. He didn’t score a goal or log an assist, but his ability to contribute in both the attack and defense made him a vital piece of Spain’s puzzle. He becomes the seventh player to win the World Cup, a European Championship, a Champions League and a Ballon d’Or across his career.
Rodri currently plays for Manchester City, for which he has won every major club title in his seven seasons there. He’s now been linked with a move to Real Madrid.
Turning 19 during the tournament, Yamal didn’t quite live up to the hype coming into the summer as he recovered from a hamstring injury, but still showed why he’ll be a star player for years to come.
His only goal came in the win over Saudi Arabia, becoming the second player aged 18 or younger to score the opening goal in a World Cup match since Pelé in 1958. Yamal becoming the youngest player to win both the World Cup and the UEFA European Championship at 19 years and six days old. He also became the third-youngest player to appear in or win a World Cup final after Pelé and Giuseppe Bergomi.
Yamal returns to action with Barcelona, having led the club to consecutive LaLiga titles. He’ll be instrumental in trying to help the Catalan club win its first Champions League trophy since 2015.
Another 19-year-old Barcelona phenom like Yamal, centerback Pau Cubarsi was a stalwart in the backline for Spain as he was paired with veteran Aymeric Laporte in the central defense. He became just the second player on record to complete more than 100 passes in a World Cup final.
Cubarsi was a deserved pick as the Young Player of the Tournament. His World Cup winner’s medal follows his Olympic gold medal he earned with the Spanish Under-23 team at the 2024 Games in Paris.
Mikel Oyarzabal wasn’t tabbed as Spain’s leading goalscorer for the tournament with the likes of Lamine Yamal on the squad, but the Real Sociedad man finished the tournament as a surprise contender in the Golden Ball chase with five goals.
Oyzarabal doesn’t have the profile of a classic striker but his ability to find space in Spain’s system of intricate passing and build-up made him the perfect point man for Luis de la Fuente’s side. Already a key man for Spain during its 2024 Euro title run, Oyzarabal provided the finishing touches throughout the summer. His five goals equaled the record for the most by a Spanish player in a single edition previously achieved by Emilio Butragueño and David Villa.
Oyarzabal returns to Real Socieded – the only club he has ever played for professionally – this season.
Unai Simón won the tournament’s Golden Glove award as the top goalkeeper even though he wasn’t always the busiest man on the pitch.
He allowed just one goal in eight games – Charles De Ketelaere’s goal for Belgium in the quarterfinals was the sole blemish – and in the final against Argentina he saw just two shots, neither on target. In all, Simón needed to make only 14 saves at the tournament. Argentina’s Emiliano Martínez nearly had to make that many in the final alone, finishing with 11.
Simón plays for Athletic Club in Bilbao, where he is one of LaLiga’s top performing keepers.
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