Spain won the 2026 World Cup after beating Argentina 1-0 in the final. La Roja dominated the game, but it took them 106 minutes to find a breakthrough. Pedro Porro swung a dangerous cross into the penalty area, and Nico Williams headed the ball down to fellow substitute Ferran Torres, who fired in a powerful strike. Spain’s defense looked comfortable during the closing stages of the game, and the players held on for a famous win.

Spain’s 2026 World Cup recap

La Roja conceded just one goal in eight games during the tournament. Aymeric Laporte and Pau Cubarsí formed a strong defensive duo, while captain Rodri was impeccable in midfield. FIFA named him Player of the Tournament after he lifted the trophy, and goalkeeper Unai Simón won the Golden Glove award.

Prediction markets initially made Spain the favorite to win the 2026 World Cup earlier this year, but traders turned bearish on La Roja following a disappointing 0-0 draw with Cape Verde in their opener. Star winger Lamine Yamal missed most of that game, as he has only just recovered from an injury, and Spain’s attack lacked spark.

Yamal returned to the starting lineup against Saudi Arabia on Sunday, and it took him just 10 minutes to open the scoring. Oyarzabal then scored twice, and Hassan Altambakti’s own goal sealed a 4-0 win for the Spaniards. They then beat Uruguay 1-0 in their group stage closer, before sweeping Austria aside in the Round of 32. Striker Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice in that matcj, and Porro headed in Marc Cucurella’s cross to wrap up the win.

Spain’s reward was a tricky quarterfinal clash with Portugal. It was a tight game, but Mikel Merino came off the bench to score a late winner. La Roja then beat Belgium 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Midfielder Fabián Ruiz opened the scoring, but Charles De Ketelaere equalized just before half-time. It was the first time that Spain had conceded a goal during the entire tournament, but the players still found a way to win. Cubarsí tried his luck with a long range strike, which goalkeeper Serge Lammens fumbled, and Merino pounced to fire in the winner, cementing his cult hero status.

Prior to that win against Belgium, Spain was trading at just 12.3% to win the World Cup. Traders gave La Roja a 21.2% chance of lifting the trophy as they prepared to face France in the semifinals. Spain was an underdog, but it secured a dominant 2-0 win against a star-studded France team. The defense kept Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Michael Olise in check, and goals from Oyarzabal and Porro sent Spain to the final.

Prediction markets then gave Spain a 59% chance of winning the World Cup. They looked vastly superior to Argentina throughout the final, but it finished 0-0 at the end of regulation time. Williams had a goal controversially ruled out, but Torres eventually broke Argentina’s resistance. That win extended Spain’s unbeaten streak to a record 38 games. Kalshi now makes Spain the favorite to win the European Championship in 2028, ahead of England and France.

These are the players that will brought more silverware back to Spain:

• Goalkeepers: Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao), David Raya (Arsenal), Joan Garcia (Barcelona).
• Defenders: Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid), Marc Pubill (Atletico Madrid), Pedro Porro (Tottenham), Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao), Eric Garcia (Barcelona), Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona), Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen).
• Midfielders: Rodri (Manchester City), Martin Zubimendi (Arsenal), Mikel Merino (Arsenal), Pedri (Barcelona), Gavi (Barcelona), Fabian Ruiz (Paris St-Germain), Alex Baena (Atletico Madrid).
• Forwards: Yeremy Pino (Crystal Palace), Victor Munoz (Osasuna), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Ferran Torres (Barcelona), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Dani Olmo (Barcelona), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Borja Iglesias (Celta Vigo).

Key players for Spain

Spain’s greatest strength is their midfield, but they also have two wingers, a solid defense, and a reliable goalkeeper. These are the players that starred during Spain’s World Cup triumph:

• Rodri: Spain’s captain won the Golden Ball (Player of the Tournament) award after leading his team to glory. He was impeccable in and out of possession throughout the World Cup. The Manchester City midfielder won the Ballon d’Or (world’s best player award) after leading Spain to victory at Euro 2024. Rodri now looks back to his best after recovering from an ACL injury. He played regularly for Man City during the second half of the 2025/26 season, and was excellent for Spain at this tournament.
• Lamine Yamal: Barcelona’s teenage winger wasn’t at his brilliant best during the World Cup, but he won a crucial penalty against France in the semifinals. He’s just 19 years old, and he is already a world champion, a European champion, and a two-time La Liga winner.
• Pedri: Barcelona’s creative heartbeat remains one of the most elegant midfielders in world soccer. He quietly pulled the strings in Spain’s midfield at this summer’s World Cup, alongside Rodri, Fabián Ruiz, Dani Olmo, and Mikel Merino.
• Mikel Merino: The Arsenal midfielder proved his worth to Spain by coming off the bench to score the winner against Portugal in the Round of 16. He then repeated the feat against Belgium in the quarterfinals. Merino was Spain’s top scorer during the World Cup qualifying campaign, and he now looks back to his best after missing the second half of the 2025/26 season with an injury.
• Mikel Oyarzabal: Spain’s striker scored five goals in eight games at this tournament. He faced competition from Ferran Torres for a place in the starting lineup, but he rewarded the manager’s faith in him by scoring crucial goals, including a well-taken penalty against France in the semifinals.

Where to bet on Spain at future tournaments

Kalshi and Polymarket are the two main prediction markets offering contracts on Spain’s games. You’ll find outright winner contracts on Euro 2028, plus plenty more futures markets. They will also offer a huge array of markets on each game – moneylines, spreads, totals, props, team to advance, and much more.

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