Best goal, best player, best fans - BBC reporters' World Cup awards

What the report says

BBC Sport published a post-tournament awards feature on 20 July 2026, with its football reporters reflecting on the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico after 104 matches across nearly six weeks. The article frames the tournament as one marked by major drama, records and standout individual performances, and invites readers to vote on selections including best goal and best save.

The official player award went to Spain captain Rodri, who received Fifa’s Golden Ball. Lionel Messi was named Silver Ball winner and Kylian Mbappe took the Bronze Ball. BBC contributors, however, offered varied personal choices: Phil McNulty, Liz Conway, Gary Rose and John Murray backed Messi, citing his continued influence for Argentina at age 39, while others highlighted Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Michael Olise and Rodri.

For emerging talent, the article notes that Spain defender Pau Cubarsi, 19, won Fifa’s best young player award after playing every minute of Spain’s campaign and helping a defence that conceded only once. Reporters’ breakout picks ranged from Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi and Switzerland’s Johan Manzambi to Mexico’s 17-year-old Gilberto Mora, USA full-back Alex Freeman, Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha and even Erling Haaland for his heightened profile in the US.

BBC reporters also selected memorable moments from the tournament, including the atmosphere at Mexico v England at the Azteca, Paraguay’s penalty-shootout upset of Germany, Messi’s opening-match hat-trick, and Cape Verde’s challenge to Argentina before a 3-2 extra-time defeat. The feature serves as a broad end-of-World-Cup review rather than a single news event.