Messi, Mbappe and Yamal Rewrite FIFA World Cup History: Check the Top FIFA World Cup 2026 Records

Last Updated: Jul 20, 2026, 09:28 IST

Messi, Mbappe and Yamal rewrote the FIFA World Cup record books in 2026. Explore the top records, key stats, and memorable milestones from the tournament.

FIFA World Cup 2026: Biggest Records
FIFA World Cup 2026: Biggest Records

The FIFA World Cup 2026 has come to an end where the fans witnessed a thrilling final. Spain defeated Argentina with a surprising 1-0 in extra time and lifted their second World Cup title. It was Ferran Torres who scored the winning goal in the 106th minute and Spain’s defence also performed brilliantly as Argentina wasn’t even able to score a single goal. 

While the trophy is now with the new champion team, there are many records that were broken by Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal and many other players. This World Cup will be remembered for breaking so many records and here is a list of them. 

Quick Highlights of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final

Detail

Information

Result

Spain defeated Argentina with 1-0 (after extra time)

Winning goal

Ferran Torres, 106th minute

Venue

MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Date

July 19, 2026

Title

Spain's second World Cup win, the team first won in 2010

Top 10 Biggest Records of FIFA World Cup 2026

Here are some of the biggest records of FIFA World Cup 2026: 

Record

Details

Kylian Mbappe becomes all-time top scorer

Mbappe scored 22 career World Cup goals which is more than Lionel Messi's record of 21 goals

Spain won both Men’s and Women’s World Cup titles at once

Spain is now the first country ever to lift men's and women's World Cup titles at the same time

Best defense by any World Cup winner

Spain let in only 1 goal in the whole tournament

Spain now has 38 match unbeaten run

The longest run without losing by any men's national team in history

Biggest crowd in World Cup history

Over 6.5 million fans watched the matches, breaking the old record of 3.5 million from USA 1994

Lamine Yamal, first ever teenager to win Euros and World Cup

Won Euro 2024 and World Cup 2026, both before Lamine turned 20

Longest time without allowing a goal

Unai Simon went 650 minutes without letting in a goal, across the 2022 and 2026 World Cups

Biggest age gap between players starting a final

Messi and Yamal started on opposite sides, 20 years and 19 days apart in age, which is a first in World Cup history

Luis de la Fuente becomes the oldest World Cup winning coach

He won the title at 65 years and 29 days old

Lionel Messi becomes the most decorated World Cup player ever

Most matches played (30), most assists (12), two Golden Balls, and the oldest player to start a World Cup final

Lionel Messi’s World Cup Records

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup ended, Messi has made many records that will go down in history:

Record

Achievement

First man to start three World Cup finals

After Brazil’s Cafu, Messi becomes the second man ever to play in three finals

First man to captain a team in three World Cup finals

No other captain has done this

Oldest outfield player to start a World Cup final

Messi is 39 years and 25 days old when he started the World Cup 2026 final

Most World Cup goals (before the final)

21 career goals and was passed by Mbappe's 22

Most World Cup assists ever

Messi has 12 assists and he has taken over Pele's old record of 10

Most World Cup matches played

30 matches, more than any other player

Oldest World Cup hat-trick scorer

38 years and 357 days old when he scored a hat-trick against Algeria

Longest scoring streak

Scored in 9 World Cup matches in a row

Most World Cups played

Messi and Ronaldo are now at a tie where both of them have played in 6 World Cups

Kylian Mbappe’s World Cup Records

This World Cup saw Mbappe in his amazing form. Here are the records he made: 

Record

Achievement

All-time top World Cup scorer

22 career goals (4 goals in 2018, 8 goals in 2022, and 10 goals in 2026)

First player to win the Golden Boot twice

Mbappe became the top scorer in both 2022 and 2026 World Cups

Most goals scored in World Cup finals

4 goals across his three finals

Reached his record in fewer games

22 World Cup matches, compared to Messi's 30

Lamine Yamal’s World Cup Records

Here are the records made by one of the youngest players in the FIFA World Cup 2026: 

Record

Achievement

First ever teenager to win the Euros and the World Cup

Yamal won Euro 2024 and the World Cup 2026 both before he turned 20

Tied for fourth youngest World Cup winner ever

He lifted the trophy at just 19 years and 6 days old

Third youngest player to play in a World Cup final

He is behind Pele (17 years, 249 days, 1958) and Giuseppe Bergomi (18 years, 201 days, 1982)

Part of the biggest age gap in a World Cup final

He and Messi started 20 years and 19 days apart in age, the first time this has happened

Youngest Spanish player to score the opening goal

Yamal scored against Saudi Arabia at 18 years and 343 days old

Football Legends Whose Records Were Broken 

Here are the records of some of the greatest players of football and how they were broken this season: 

Player/Team

Record Held

Broken By

Miroslav Klose

Most World Cup goals ever (16)

Lionel Messi (21) and Kylian Mbappe (22)

Cristiano Ronaldo

Oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick (33 years, 130 days in 2018)

Lionel Messi (38 years, 357 days in 2026)

Pele

Most World Cup assists ever which was 10

Lionel Messi (12 assists)

Walter Zenga

Longest time without allowing a goal at a World Cup (517 minutes, 1990)

Unai Simon (650 minutes including 2022 and 2026)

Italy's 2018-21 team

Longest unbeaten run by a men's national team

Spain breaks the record with 38 matches without a loss

Mario Gotze

Only substitute to score a World Cup final winning goal

Ferran Torres became the second player ever to do this and score in the 106th minute

Award Winners of FIFA World Cup 2026

Here is the list of all the Award Winners of FIFA World Cup 2026: 

Award

Winner

Golden Ball

Rodri (Spain) who becomes the first Spanish player ever to win it

Golden Boot

Kylian Mbappe (France), scored 10 goals

Golden Glove

Unai Simon (Spain) who is now the second Spanish player ever to win it

Best Young Player

Pau Cubarsi (Spain) becomes the first Spanish player ever to win it

Records Broken by Teams

  • Spain is now the first team to win the Men’s and Women’s World Cup titles at the same time. 

  • Spain kept 7 clean sheets (matches that didn’t allow any goal) in this tournament. 

  • Spain let only 1 goal in the entire tournament which showed their amazing defence. 

  • Rodri became the first Spanish player ever to win the Golden Ball.

  • Spain is now the 7th country in World Cup history to win the World Cup title more than once. 

  • Argentina’s 13 match unbeaten record came to an end after the World Cup final. 

Nikhil Batra
Nikhil Batra

Content Writer

Nikhil is a dedicated digital journalist and communications professional with more than five years of experience, currently working within the General Knowledge section at Jagran Josh. He has established himself as a subject matter expert in Finance, Economy, History, Technology, and Trending News, consistently delivering accurate, engaging, and easy-to-read content for a wide global audience.

Over the course of his career, Nikhil has developed deep expertise in crafting informative listicles, viral trending stories. His editorial portfolio also spans finance, historical research, and technology reporting, making him a versatile and well-rounded content professional. Every piece he produces reflects a strong balance between factual accuracy and reader engagement.

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First Published: Jul 20, 2026, 09:28 IST

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