Over two solitary days, the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup served up some amazing (and shocking) results. First Spain shocked France with a footballing masterclass, sending the 2018 champions crashing out with a 2-0 loss. Then came Argentina and their heroic comeback win against England.
Here are our awards from this penultimate round of games in the FIFA World Cup:
Best Attacker
Dani Olmo (Spain)
Lamine Yamal is probably Spain’s most lethal attacker, but Olmo was their man of the moment against France. Graceful
and stylish, his flair complemented the defensively robust Spanish gameplan and helped unlock the French defense.
Just watch him on the second goal. His assist to Pedro Porro to make it 2-0 is an example of the exquisite team play the Spaniards showed on Tuesday night.
Honorable mentions: Lamine Yamal (Spain), Anthony Gordon (England)
Best Midfielder
Rodri (Spain)
France lost the midfield battle, which was THE major factor in their downfall. Despite all their prodigious attacking talent, the French could not get the ball to their attacking players in dangerous positions. That is why they were largely helpless to do anything against Spain.
None of that happens without Rodri. Everyone may agree he isn’t the same player he was when he won the Ballon d’Or, but the Manchester City star remains one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. Positionally disciplined and possessing excellent passing range, Rodri almost singlehandedly dominated a French midfield of Adrien Rabiot and Aurélien Tchouaméni.
His performance was at the very core of the Spanish victory.
Honorable mentions: Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina)
Best Defender
Marc Cucurella (Spain)
Bradley Barcola is a pretty talented guy, but Marc Cucurella made him look like an amateur. It is a mystery how he manages to balance defensive duties while still bombing forward in every single attack. If there was ever any doubt, Cucurella is cementing himself as one of the best fullbacks in the world right now. His World Cup so far has been nothing short of exceptional.
The entire Spanish defense really deserves a shoutout here. They made life hell for the most lethal attack in international football. Absolute masterclass.
Honorable mentions: Pau Cubarsí (Spain), Aymeric Laporte (Spain)
Best Goalkeeper
Jordan Pickford (England)
The only player in these awards from a country that didn’t win. The only reason England kept a lead as long as they did is because Jordan Pickford stepped up and made some clutch saves. His intervention to keep out the Nico González header in the 68th minute was truly exceptional. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, as England succumbed to relentless Argentine pressure and folded in the dying minutes of the game.
Honorable mentions: The other keepers didn’t have much to do.
Best Young Player (Ones to watch)
Enzo Fernández (Argentina)
Originally it was Lamine Yamal here, because, to be honest, there weren’t many young-ish players to choose from. At 25, Enzo Fernández stretches the definition of a young player, but it would be criminal to not include him somewhere on this list after the goal he scored.
Honorable mentions: Lamine Yamal (Spain)
Most Outstanding Player
Leo Messi (Argentina)
How is he still this good?
Leo Messi always seemed like the type of player to age gracefully, but this is absurd. Somehow he manages to be the best player on the pitch even at 39. He might spend 80 minutes of the game just walking around, but the 10 minutes where he gets the ball, he drops his shoulders and makes magic happen.
It’s not like he’s making cute passes into the feet of his teammates. Messi somehow still has a short burst of pace, allowing him to get the better of any defender trying to take him on. Stopping him 3v1 is difficult. Stopping him 2v1 takes a Herculean effort. Stopping him 1v1 is almost impossible. If you do what England did and sit back for 30 minutes, he will find a way to unlock your defense.
Frankly, this World Cup shows that Messi is still a top 5 player in the world. As for his legacy? He is clearly the greatest to ever do it.
Best Team
Spain (Spain)
Just use Ctrl+F and look for how many times Spain is mentioned in this article. That should tell you what you need to know. Luis De La Fuente has built a squad that started slow, but is gaining momentum right at the correct time. Their performance against France was nothing short of a clinic, a masterclass in both pressure and control.
Spain did not allow France to play football. That’s the short of it. What’s more impressive is that they did it while sticking to the principles of possession and attacking football, rather than going the cynical route of a team like Paraguay. Players like Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, and Kylian Mbappé were all but neutralized, helpless to do anything as their country succumbed at the semi-final stage. That is terrifying.
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