For all its pretense as an entertainment industry, this is very much a fierce competition. Only one team can win but\u2014as it transpires\u2014all 48 can be ranked.<\/p>\n
Ranking CriteriaPerformance: This is the chief factor to consider. The elimination round is the first port of call and serves as a helpful mini-bracket within which to judge each side.Expectations: Not all group stage exits are equal. Each nation\u2019s ambitions heading into the tournament are taken into consideration.Fun: At the World Cup, more than any other tournament, a sense of enjoyment goes a long way.48. Tunisia![\"Tunisia\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kxw7sfr7aqn5bsez12.jpg\" "\\"Tunisia\u2019s")
<\/p>\n
It did not go Tunisia\u2019s way this summer. | Alex Pantling\/FIFA\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
Exit Round: Group Stage
Record: P3 W0 D0 L3<\/p>\n
\u201cAs long as there\u2019s life, there\u2019s hope,\u201d Herv\u00e9 Renard promised when he was appointed as Tunisia\u2019s second manager of the 2026 World Cup<\/a> after just one match. That hope died a swift death when Japan scored four minutes into his debut.<\/p>\n 47. Uruguay Marcelo Bielsa tarnished his legacy as Uruguay boss. | David Ramos\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Group Stage \u201cI have not left anything to Uruguayan soccer,\u201d Marcelo Bielsa concluded after overseeing the nation\u2019s worst World Cup performance in a generation. That\u2019s doing himself a disservice. Bielsa left Uruguayan soccer with a broken locker room, a culture of fear and scars that will never heal.<\/p>\n 46. South Korea Hong Myung-bo became public enemy No. 1 in South Korea. | IMAGO\/Branislav Racko<\/p>\n Exit Round: Group Stage You know it\u2019s bad when the President publicly demands a governmental analysis of an \u201cutterly baffling\u201d World Cup performance.<\/p>\n 45. T\u00fcrkiye T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s exit was a huge surprise. | Eric Verhoeven\/Soccrates\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Group Stage Only one team across the entire group stage registered more shots than T\u00fcrkiye, yet the tournament\u2019s lamest of dark horses didn\u2019t score until they had already been eliminated. A crumb of comfort was beating the USMNT in a dead rubber<\/a>.<\/p>\n 44. Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia didn\u2019t win a game this summer. | Charlotte Wilson\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Group Stage The Saudi Arabia soccer federation considered the World Cup to be such a gross failure that its president Yasser al-Misehal quit three days after elimination was confirmed. That\u2019s what drawing with Uruguay will do to you.<\/p>\n 43. Iraq Iraq lost every single game. | Ayman Aref\/NurPhoto\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Group Stage The expectations the last team to qualify for the World Cup carried into the competition were captured by Graham Arnold\u2019s send-off message. \u201cEveryone in Iraq should be proud of the fact that we \u200bmade it here,\u201d the manager insisted. Don\u2019t get bogged down by the details of what they actually got up to in North America.<\/p>\n 42. Panama Panama couldn\u2019t get its first World Cup win. | Bill Barrett\/ISI Photos\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Group Stage No wins, no goals, no fun.<\/p>\n 41. Czechia Czechia players looked completely drained during the second half against Mexico at the Azteca. | Mart\u00edn Fonseca\/Eurasia Sport Images\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Group Stage As Thelonious Monk once memorably said, \u201cThe piano ain\u2019t got no wrong notes.\u201d There is no incorrect way of playing soccer, but Czechia came closest to discovering it during a grim march to early elimination. <\/p>\n 40. Scotland Scotland was a dull watch. | Patrick Smith\/FIFA\/Getty Images<\/p>\n There\u2019s been two World Cups playing out simultaneously for Scotland this summer. <\/p>\n The dour affair on the pitch which led to Steve Clarke\u2019s resignation<\/a> grated violently with the wild time the fans had in Boston and Miami. Fortunately, the memories of those hazy days draining breweries, throwing cones on statues and filling public fountains with dish soap will last far longer than any 1\u20130 loss to Morocco.<\/p>\n 39. Uzbekistan Uzbekistan took part in its first World Cup. | Steph Chambers\/FIFA\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Group Stage They say that the person who smiles in a crisis is the first one to have worked out who to blame. It felt oddly fitting that Uzbekistan manager Fabio Cannavaro ended defeats to Portugal and DR Congo with a wry grin.<\/p>\n 38. Qatar Qatar fans were out in good numbers for the opening match against Switzerland. | (Jane Tyska\/Digital First Media\/East Bay Times\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Group Stage \u201cSwitzerland, Canada and Bosnia are better than us, no doubt about that,\u201d Qatar\u2019s reliably cheery manager Julen Lopetegui predicted pre-tournament. \u201cWe know they\u2019re happy to have us in their group. We must accept our reality.\u201d<\/p>\n Qatar accepted it, but not without a fight, taking a point off Switzerland to avoid defeat for the first time in the nation\u2019s World Cup history.<\/p>\n 37. Jordan Jordan qualified for its first ever men\u2019s World Cup this summer. | David Ramos\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Group Stage There are ways to lose all three games and Jordan found the most encouraging approach; scoring in each outing, giving Algeria a run for its money and bloodying the nose of Lionel Messi\u2019s Argentina.<\/p>\n Even though manager Jamal Sellami left his post after the competition\u2019s conclusion, he was told by the Prince that he \u201cwill always remain a dear son to Jordan.\u201d<\/p>\n 36. Haiti Martin Experience captured the mood of Haiti\u2019s performances. | Image Photo Agency\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Group Stage No one can ever take those glorious 29 minutes which Haiti led against the (technical) African champion away from a national team playing for so much more than three group stage points. <\/p>\n The representatives of an island gripped by such vicious political unrest it was too dangerous for S\u00e9bastien Mign\u00e9 to ever visit the country he managed offered more hope than many would have expected.<\/p>\n 35. New Zealand Chris Wood (center) spearheaded New Zealand\u2019s World Cup. | Sarah Stier\/FIFA\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Group Stage That New Zealand\u2019s group stage elimination ended with a lingering sense of \u201cWhat if?\u201d is a testament to the performance of Darren Bazeley\u2019s side, who blended deftness with drive. For a nation with two professional soccer teams, taking the lead against Asian and African powerhouses such as Iran and Egypt is nothing to dismiss. <\/p>\n 34. Curacao<\/p>\n The Blue Wave made history – and no one can take that away from them. pic.twitter.com\/6KSuvZXuGl<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 25, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Exit Round: Group Stage Cura\u00e7ao arrived at the tournament cast unfairly as a gimmick in the eyes of many elitist onlookers. But this nation with a population of less than two Azteca Stadiums emerged with a point to cherish and a goalkeeper in need of a statute.<\/p>\n 33. Iran Iran was eliminated in the group stage. | Alex Livesey\/FIFA\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Group Stage From a logistical point of view, it was a dire World Cup for Iran. \u201cThe most oppressed\u201d<\/a> team at the tournament, according to its manager Amir Ghalenoei, had to leave the U.S. on the day of every game it played to scurry back to its hurriedly chosen base in Tijuana, Mexico.<\/p>\n Despite fighting bureaucracy, fatigue and VAR, Iran still emerged unbeaten from the group stage and a matter of seconds away from qualifying for the round of 32.<\/p>\n 32. Germany Germany even lost on penalties. | Robert Cianflone\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 32 The scathing German tabloid BILD captured the mood of many onlookers with a caption for a picture of the national team returning to North Carolina after the dismal penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay<\/a>: \u201cThe German losers land.\u201d<\/p>\n Seemingly the only person in the country who saw any positives from a grim tournament was the German chancellor Friedrich Merz. <\/p>\n \u201cEven though being eliminated hurts: What a game!\u201d he bizarrely wrote on social media. \u201cWith your dedication and team spirit at this World Cup, you have inspired our country. We are proud of you.\u201d <\/p>\n The question \u201cwelches spiel?\u201d\u2014which game\u2014soon started trending on X.<\/p>\n 31. Algeria Algeria secured a massive result against Jordan in the group stage. | Stu Forster\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 32 Algeria\u2019s participation this summer will forever be remembered for its role in that bizarre 3\u20133 draw with Austria, a game in which both sides appeared to settle for a stalemate until the North Africans scored in stoppage time to stun everyone, including some of its own players. That Austria equalized seconds later capped off the insanity of an occasion which overshadowed what little else Algeria did this summer.<\/p>\n 30. Senegal Senegal had a point to prove. | Robert Cianflone\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 32 Each game felt like an entirely different World Cup for Senegal. The thrillingly competitive contest with France was the most accurate reflection of this team\u2019s true level, but a culture of unrest behind the scenes prevented the people\u2019s African champion<\/a> from ever sustaining that level.<\/p>\n A stunning second-half collapse against Belgium led to midfielder Pape Gueye quitting the national team until the coaching staff was changed. He only had to wait 10 days before Pape Thiaw was sacked.<\/p>\n 29. Austria Austria finished second in Group J. | Joe Klamar\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 32 Hailed as \u201cthe best thing that could have happened to Austrian football\u201d by his own players coming into the tournament, Ralf Rangnick\u2019s familiar failings as a manager ultimately haunted his latest side.<\/p>\n A stubbornly one-dimensional approach of winning back possession without any idea of what to do with that ball they spent so long chasing was ruthlessly dismantled by Spain<\/a>.<\/p>\n 28. Ghana Ghana made it into the World Cup knockout phase. | Terence Lewis\/Icon Sportswire\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 32 Ghana managed to make it out of the group for the first time since 2010 despite leading for less than six minutes across the entire tournament. \u201cPragmatic\u201d is definitely the kindest (if not the most accurate) way to describe the style Carlos Queiroz implemented.<\/p>\n 27. South Africa South Africa nabbed a late equalizer against Czechia. | Molly Darlington\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 32 Hugo Broos and his troops are owed plenty of credit for coming back from the public massacre of that opening day defeat to Mexico<\/a>, rallying to sneak past South Korea and into the knockouts. Unfortunately, that resurrection only lasted four days (rather than the prophesied 40).<\/p>\n 26. Ecuador Ecuador fans were out in force. | Erick W. Rasco\/Sports Illustrated <\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 32 Ecuador will always have that victory over Germany<\/a>. Quite literally: a national holiday was declared to commemorate the occasion. Probably best to forget the other three games.<\/p>\n 25. Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina secured its spot in the knockout stage with a win over Qatar. | Stu Forster\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 32 When Bosnia and Herzegovina\u2019s manager Sergej Barbarez flashed a glance at his phone after losing to the U.S. on a dry evening in Northern California, he was stunned. \u201cI just got a message from my mother, I thought she was asleep,\u201d he laughed. \u201cIf she\u2019s awake everyone is awake!\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the disappointment of bowing out to the co-host, no one in Sarajevo was going to bed despite the 5 a.m. local finish time. The nation\u2019s first ever run to the World Cup knockouts was not a moment to miss or mourn, but celebrate.<\/p>\n 24. Australia Nestory Irankunda was Australia\u2019s biggest weapon in attack. | Dale MacMillan\/Soccrates\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 32 If you gamble for long enough, you\u2019ll eventually lose the shirt on your back. So many of Tony Popovic\u2019s big calls came to fruition; dropping vice captain Jackson Irvine, trusting Nestory Irankunda, introducing the world to Patrick Beach. Yet, his continuous game of Russia roulette ended the way it always threatened to: a knockout blow.<\/p>\n 23. Sweden Sweden finished third in Group F. | Hector Vivas\/FIFA\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 32 The most confusing team in the entire competition. Sweden received and delivered thrashings with the same enthusiasm, conspiring to get tactically outwitted and do the outwitting just as frequently.<\/p>\n 22. Croatia Croatia players were furious at the decision to disallow the late equalizer. | Mattia Ozbot\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 32 Infamy, infamy, infamy. They\u2019ve all got it in for me.<\/p>\n That was the stance many in the Croatian team took after an instantly infamous offside decision<\/a> denied this assortment of aging scrappers a stoppage-time equalizer against Portugal.<\/p>\n 21. Cote d\u2019Ivoire Yan Diomande is on the radar of many elite clubs. | Joosep Martinson\/FIFA\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 32 For a manager with the youngest roster at the World Cup, there felt something slightly predetermined about Emerse Fae blaming a \u201clack of maturity\u201d for C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire\u2019s exit. Yet, after giving up cheap late goals against Germany and Norway, he may have had a point.<\/p>\n 20. Japan Japan enjoyed a great group stage. | David Ramos\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 32 Japan ultimately fell short of the team\u2019s full potential with a nail-biting defeat to Brazil, but the bright flashes produced by this harmonious collective\u2014which was missing a glut of injured stars\u2014brings hope for the future. \u201cThe gap between us is closing now,\u201d manager Hajime Moriyasu warned.<\/p>\n 19. Netherlands The Oranje Army came out in full force. | AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 32 Your philosophical slant will dictate your appraisal of the Netherlands\u2019 2026 World Cup campaign\u2014as it should in any debate on Dutch soccer, that most theoretical of pursuits.<\/p>\n Ronald Koeman was seen to have ditched the principles of Total Football\u2014the unrealistic ideal every Holland coach is supposed to chase after since that spectacular style was established in the 1970s\u2014only to fall at the first hurdle.<\/p>\n However, others would argue that Koeman\u2019s switch to a back five and a direct approach brought the Netherlands to within a matter of minutes of victory\u2014and they only lost on penalties to a very talented Morocco team. What\u2019s more, the Dutch haven\u2019t played that fantasy approach in decades. If anything, Koeman was honoring the past.<\/p>\n Before stepping down from his position, the forthright manager went out defiantly: \u201cIf I had to do \u200bit again, I would do it the same way again.\u201d<\/p>\n 18. DR Congo<\/p>\n He was made for the biggest stage. pic.twitter.com\/xNbCo4i9Ep<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 32 The butt of every World Cup joke for half a century after the nation\u2019s previous incarnation, Zaire, was humiliated in 1974, the Democratic Republic of Congo was out to right some historic wrongs this summer.<\/p>\n After thwarting Cristiano Ronaldo, getting a maiden tournament win and pushing England to the brink<\/a>, it was job done. \u201cWe are more proud than disappointed,\u201d manager S\u00e9bastien Desabre fairly surmised.<\/p>\n 17. Cabo Verde<\/p>\n A heroes welcome in Cabo Verde. pic.twitter.com\/oOdmnZCatx<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) July 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 32 Vozinha started the tournament having to pull out of his usual summer job as a volleyball coach and ended it with more Instagram followers than Luka Don\u010di\u0107 and Giannis Antetokounmpo combined.<\/p>\n Yet, the personal story of the 40-year-old goalkeeper distracts from the remarkable collective display put together across four tactically adept contests. Cabo Verde duly ended the tournament as the only team not to lose to the eventual champions, Spain.<\/p>\n 16. Brazil Neymar retired from Brazil duty after the defeat to Norway. | Catherine Ivill\/AMA\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 16 This may have been Brazil\u2019s earliest World Cup elimination since 1990, but it was a painfully familiar story. For the sixth tournament in a row, the Sele\u00e7\u00e3o was knocked out by the first European team it faced.<\/p>\n 15. Paraguay Paraguay earned the biggest World Cup win in its country\u2019s history. | Erick W. Rasco\/Sports Illustrated<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 16 All the good will built up by that battling performance against Germany and the wonderfully lyrical press conferences of manager Gustavo Alfaro was frittered away by an unsavory pummelling needlessly dished out to France, who defeated them all the same.<\/p>\n 14. Portugal This was another tournament too far Cristiano Ronaldo. | Grzegorz Wajda\/SOPA Images\/LightRocket\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 16 All summer long, Roberto Mart\u00ednez feverishly pointed towards the significance of the number six. \u201cI strongly believe in numerology,\u201d the Portugal manager warned. \u201cIn 2016 Portugal won the Euros, 1966 was the best result ever [at World Cups], 2006 was also a semifinal.\u201d<\/p>\n The prophecy would come true, just not in the way Mart\u00ednez had been hoping for: Guess what number Spain\u2019s match-winner against Portugal, Mikel Merino, wore.<\/p>\n 13. Egypt Mohamed Salah enjoyed his World Cup swan song. | Hector Vivas\/FIFA\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 16 Egypt manager Hossam Hassan may have left the World Cup vowing not to watch another minute of the competition and crying conspiracy<\/a>, but, once the dust of his indignation has settled, he can take solace in orchestrating the nation\u2019s best ever tournament run.<\/p>\n 12. Canada Canada\u2019s three home World Cup matches brought unparalleled passion for the sport to the country. | Emma Ottosen\/ISI PhotosGetty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 16 \u201cAs good as Morocco is, I\u2019d rather be us,\u201d Canada boss Jesse Marsch unconvincingly argued after losing to the African champion in the round of 16. Really?<\/p>\n 11. USMNT The USMNT crashed out of the World Cup in embarassing fashion. | Kohjiro Kinno\/Sports Illustrated<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 16 \u201cI think overall there were positives that we\u2019re going to take away from it,\u201d U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams tried to tell himself after a humbling defeat to Belgium, \u201c[but] it just doesn\u2019t feel like it matters.\u201d<\/p>\n With some time for reflection, the way this team shone in its brightest moments will feel like it mattered<\/a>. <\/p>\n 10. Colombia James Rodr\u00edguez won\u2019t have good memories of BC Place. | Alex Pantling\/FIFA\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 16 Imagine if Colombia had learned the offside rule?<\/p>\n Plant an in-form Luis D\u00edaz into this brood of balletic battlers and their tournament could have continued long past the round of 16.<\/p>\n As it was, the Bayern Munich frontman and his compatriots constantly went to pieces in the box. But N\u00e9stor Lorenzo would not lament his jigsaw of a side. \u201cThere is nothing to reproach,\u201d he concluded. \u201cSometimes the ball goes in \u200band sometimes it doesn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n 9. Mexico A handful of Mexican players could be bound for European soccer. | Carl De Souza\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Round of 16 \u00bfY si s\u00ed? The question went. And what if we can? Ultimately, Mexico could not, but the fact anyone was ever brave enough to ask is a victory in and of itself<\/a>. <\/p>\n 8. Belgium Youri Tielemans is set for a new home. | Nico Vereecken\/Photo News\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Quarterfinal \u201cI don\u2019t think that we\u2019ve got anything to feel humiliated about,\u201d Rudi Garc\u00eda concluded, which is certainly one lens through which to judge a tournament. Belgium did, however, come awfully close to failing that most modest of briefs.<\/p>\n It took a final round thumping of New Zealand to avoid the ignominy of not topping an exceedingly easy group. Senegal almost condemned the Red Devils to disaster in the round of 32 before a dramatic fight back set up a stroll against the U.S. According to Garc\u00eda, \u201cLady Luck\u201d deserted Belgium against Spain, but she had been working overtime up until that point.<\/p>\n 7. Morocco Morocco handled business in Houston. | Kevin C. Cox\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Quarterfinal It\u2019s a testament to the enduring quality of Morocco that a quarterfinal exit\u2014once the impregnable glass ceiling for African nations\u2014is considered a minor disappointment.<\/p>\n But despite losing one round earlier, Mohamed Ouahbi had clearly constructed a more well-round side compared to the semifinalists of 2022. The only issue was that Morocco met France in the quarterfinals<\/a> this time around.<\/p>\n 6. Switzerland Switzerland bypassed Colombia on penalties. | Jared C. Tilton\/FIFA\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Quarterfinal Switzerland had won just one World Cup knockout match across the 88 years prior to this summer\u2019s tournament. In North America, the Europeans won two\u2014and came desperately close to claiming a third scalp against Argentina before a dubious red card<\/a>.<\/p>\n Manager Murat Yakin was not alone in his assessment: \u201cWe can be incredibly proud.\u201d<\/p>\n 5. Norway Erling Haaland sent Norway through to the World Cup quarterfinals. | Erick W. Rasco\/Sports Illustrated<\/p>\n Exit Round: Quarterfinal Norway embodied everything good about this World Cup. The superstar turned up and wooed the U.S. with his fascination of taxidermy<\/a>, the fans delivered a signature celebration which will be copied by everyone else ad nauseam for years to come and the team delivered some of the most exciting soccer of the summer.<\/p>\n 4. France Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 (left) and Bradley Barcola did what they could for France. | Jose Breton\/Pics Action\/NurPhoto\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Semifinal You either die or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. In the case of Didier Deschamps, his transformation into a hero of free-flowing attacking play was his ultimate crime.<\/p>\n The front four of Kylian Mbapp\u00e9, Michael Olise, Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 and one of Bradley Barcola or D\u00e9sire Dou\u00e9 was so beguiling and bewitching that it briefly inspired a bitter sense of what may have been had Deschamps not been so tactically dour in every previous tournament. Well, the dismantling dished out by Spain (and England) is what would have happened.<\/p>\n 3. England England finished in third place at the 2026 World Cup. | Jamie Squire\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Semifinal For all the questions of tactical cowardice<\/a>, laboring against low blocks and fear of the ball, this has been a summer of some notable high points for Thomas Tuchel\u2019s side.<\/p>\n Jude Bellingham put together the best individual World Cup performance of any England player ever, Elliot Anderson emerged as one of the globe\u2019s premier midfielders while Djed Spence stuffed a redemption arc worthy of an entire career into six and a half weeks. There was also that tornado masked as a soccer game at the Azteca.<\/p>\n The reality is hard to argue with. \u201cThis is the best England group for a very long time. That\u2019s a fact,\u201d Declan Rice bluntly pointed out. \u201cNo-one can take that away from us.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. Argentina Lionel Messi has already played in six World Cups. Is a seventh out of reach? | Michael Regan\/FIFA\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Exit Round: Final \u201cThe ball might go in,\u201d Lionel Scaloni mused at the start of the tournament, \u201cit might not.\u201d It won\u2019t go in if you don\u2019t hit the target.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the final proved to be one dramatic heist too many for Argentina. The defending champion ended the defense of its title in tears and a tantrum<\/a>, but for so much of the summer it served as the most enduring source of entertainment.<\/p>\n 1. Spain<\/p>\n La Roja reign again. pic.twitter.com\/mWvSmeKEOl<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) July 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Exit Round: Final It was a final for the purists<\/a> and a fitting one for Spain to win. Lacking the attacking verve of its iteration from the 2024 European Championship triumph, Luis de la Fuente dialled the tempo right down, putting each and every opponent through a kind of psychological warfare, denying them the ball and, more importantly, any meaningful territory.<\/p>\n Unai Sim\u00f3n racked up his seventh clean sheet of the summer without having to make a single save in the final. Argentina\u2019s Emiliano Mart\u00ednez produced a record-breaking 11 in that one game and still ended up on the losing side. As De la Fuente had warned in the buildup to the final, this is a \u201cTeam with a capital \u2018T\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC![\"Marcelo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kw7hrn9x20q8qjrm0y.jpg\" "\\"Marcelo")
<\/p>\n
Record: P3 W0 D2 L1<\/p>\n![\"Hong](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kn7sg1h655a0ds0n61.jpg\" "\\"Hong")
<\/p>\n
Record: P3 W1 D0 L2<\/p>\n![\"Merih](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kwvzjnh5c4pav3depa.jpg\" "\\"Merih")
<\/p>\n
Record: P3 W1 D0 L2<\/p>\n![\"Saudi](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kxwad0nv60vn8emg5e.jpg\" "\\"Saudi")
<\/p>\n
Record: P3 W0 D2 L1<\/p>\n![\"Aymen](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kvqt1qg71wnv6zq38b.jpg\" "\\"Aymen")
<\/p>\n
Record: P3 W0 D0 L3<\/p>\n![\"Panama](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kv8h2vcfwg2qz207ps.jpg\" "\\"Panama")
<\/p>\n
Record: P3 W0 D0 L3<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kwjap07z8jdkdy8gfj.jpg\" "\\"")
<\/p>\n
Record: P3 W0 D1 L2<\/p>\n![\"Scott](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kxe712kj4ctry9n8x4.jpg\" "\\"Scott")
<\/p>\n![\"Uzbekistan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kxw8z4vvjqt9f1r0c8.jpg\" "\\"Uzbekistan")
<\/p>\n
Record: P3 W0 D0 L3<\/p>\n![\"Qatar](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kvbfw8pja1n7y2h0t0.jpg\" "\\"Qatar")
<\/p>\n
Record: P3 W0 D1 L2<\/p>\n![\"Jordan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kxw8jxdjvnpzccg2a4.jpg\" "\\"Jordan")
<\/p>\n
Record: P3 W0 D0 L3<\/p>\n![\"Martin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kvhacpkhhycsmhh07m.jpg\" "\\"Martin")
<\/p>\n
Record: P3 W0 D0 L3<\/p>\n![\"Chris](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kxw9epcv83zpbgcjtw.jpg\" "\\"Chris")
<\/p>\n
Record: P3 W0 D1 L2<\/p>\n
Record: P3 W0 D1 L2<\/p>\n![\"Iran\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kwcadzea5rdmc1xexa.jpg\" "\\"Iran\\"")
<\/p>\n
Record: P3 W0 D3 L0<\/p>\n![\"Kai](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kxe6za8ryfss2j0psn.jpg\" "\\"Kai")
<\/p>\n
Record: P4 W2 D1 L1<\/p>\n![\"Amine](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kw2cqt26msqb30f0z6.jpg\" "\\"Amine")
<\/p>\n
Record: P4 W1 D1 L2<\/p>\n![\"Senegal](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kw3mcm84j7f1ha7qd5.jpg\" "\\"Senegal")
<\/p>\n
Record: P4 W1 D1 L2<\/p>\n![\"Austria](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kv718jy6j1qnxpyj2k.jpg\" "\\"Austria")
<\/p>\n
Record: P4 W1 D1 L2<\/p>\n![\"Ghana](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kw7d4dvn5v1ygpd087.jpg\" "\\"Ghana")
<\/p>\n
Record: P4 W1 D1 L2<\/p>\n![\"South](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kvgewm3wh6yg9wa8mx.jpg\" "\\"South")
<\/p>\n
Record: P4 W1 D1 L2<\/p>\n![\"Ecuador](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kxg1cnpdm41vkgn07w.jpg\" "\\"Ecuador")
<\/p>\n
Record: P4 W1 D1 L2<\/p>\n![\"Bosnia](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kwcr82km0r6gt72aph.jpg\" "\\"Bosnia")
<\/p>\n
Record: P4 W1 D1 L2<\/p>\n![\"Nestory](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kvb1cy063sq6vsc9vs.jpg\" "\\"Nestory")
<\/p>\n
Record: P4 W1 D2 L1<\/p>\n![\"Sweden](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kvy56xetpq2mphqq9y.jpg\" "\\"Sweden")
<\/p>\n
Record: P4 W1 D1 L2<\/p>\n![\"Croatia](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kwjswfkhc0dqvs423h.jpg\" "\\"Croatia")
<\/p>\n
Record: P4 W2 D0 L2<\/p>\n![\"Yan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kv4dza9ah22fh11n4j.jpg\" "\\"Yan")
<\/p>\n
Record: P4 W2 D0 L2<\/p>\n![\"Daichi](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kvy9y3d2yf8vdjgqka.jpg\" "\\"Daichi")
<\/p>\n
Record: P4 W1 D2 L1<\/p>\n![\"Netherlands](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kxbbr8tfazhnzz6c2c.jpg\" "\\"Netherlands")
<\/p>\n
Record: P4 W2 D0 L2<\/p>\n
Record: P4 W1 D1 L2<\/p>\n
Record: P4 W0 D3 L1<\/p>\n![\"Neymar\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kwvzrqy3hcmw3y3jr9.jpg\" "\\"Neymar\\"")
<\/p>\n
Record: P5 W3 D1 L1<\/p>\n![\"Paraguay](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kwcccbdaaa3sdk01n8.jpg\" "\\"Paraguay")
<\/p>\n
Record: P5 W3 D1 L1<\/p>\n![\"Cristiano](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kx1973deywgnw74xyn.jpg\" "\\"Cristiano")
<\/p>\n
Record: P5 W2 D2 L1<\/p>\n![\"Mohamed](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kwnghvew6gykw26c3n.jpg\" "\\"Mohamed")
<\/p>\n
Record: P5 W2 D1 L2<\/p>\n![\"Canada](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kwqv5h8nmgrtrsmed1.jpg\" "\\"Canada")
<\/p>\n
Record: P5 W2 D1 L2<\/p>\n![\"USMNT\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kwx4nfzarhcppk5c9x.jpg\" "\\"USMNT\\"")
<\/p>\n
Record: P5 W3 D0 L2<\/p>\n![\"James](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kwzks95bw7dybk7fk5.jpg\" "\\"James")
<\/p>\n
Record: P5 W3 D2 L0<\/p>\n![\"Mexico](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kwz5392bpkgj0zfn48.jpg\" "\\"Mexico")
<\/p>\n
Record: P5 W4 D0 L1<\/p>\n![\"Youri](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kxdp86qs6mrg4etjsh.jpg\" "\\"Youri")
<\/p>\n
Record: P6 W3 D2 L1<\/p>\n![\"Achraf](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kwq7t2m5vqmw4ff18y.jpg\" "\\"Achraf")
<\/p>\n
Record: P6 W3 D2 L1<\/p>\n![\"Switzerland](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kx63z4qnzn0x80cjq2.jpg\" "\\"Switzerland")
<\/p>\n
Record: P6 W3 D2 L1<\/p>\n![\"Erling](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784538811_19_01kwt5wn7jjpzd3y1sd2.jpg\" "\\"Erling")
<\/p>\n
Record: P6 W4 D0 L2<\/p>\n![\"Kylian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kxvqztxfq1sp5jvyxh.jpg\" "\\"Kylian")
<\/p>\n
Record: P8 W6 D0 L2<\/p>\n![\"England\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kxvqx5fx9mdk9gtsv4.jpg\" "\\"England\\"")
<\/p>\n
Record: P8 W6 D1 L1<\/p>\n![\"Lionel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kxyezp6vxvezjjskkn.jpg\" "\\"Lionel")
<\/p>\n
Record: P8 W7 D0 L1<\/p>\n
Record: P8 W7 D1 L0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.minutemediacdn.com\/platform\/google_discover_icon.svg\"){kind=icon}
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow<\/a>