The 2026 World Cup was not just about winning a new champion, it was also about breaking records and making new history. Held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the World Cup saw several Ballon d’Or winners and nominees achieve feats that will be remembered for a long time in football history.
The most talked about player was Argentina captain Lionel Messi. Although he could not retain the World Cup title, at the age of 39, he has written one record after another in his name. He became one of the first footballers to play in six different World Cups. Messi now holds the records for the most matches played in the World Cup, the most time spent on the field, the most matches played as captain, the most wins, and the most man of the match. He also became the oldest hat-trick scorer in World Cup history with a hat-trick against Algeria. In addition, he now holds the record for contributing the most goals in the World Cup, with 21 goals and 12 assists, totaling 33 goals.
France’s Kylian Mbappe also made history. At just 27 years old, he became the highest scorer in World Cup history. He won the Golden Boot for the second time in a row with 10 goals in the tournament. He also became the first French footballer to score five or more goals in two World Cups. He also became France’s all-time top scorer with 66 goals for the national team.
Reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele has been a force to be reckoned with in France’s attack. He has scored 16 goals and provided six assists in the World Cup with Mbappe, and he scored the second-fastest hat-trick in World Cup history after scoring in just 32 minutes against Norway.
This was the last World Cup for Croatia legend Luka Modric. With 202 international appearances, he is the third most capped footballer in history. He also set a new record for the oldest World Cup assist at the age of 40 years and 291 days with an assist against Ghana.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo has not stopped either. He has played 233 international matches, further enhancing his record for most international appearances. He has become the first footballer to score in six different World Cups. At the same time, he is now the oldest to score in the knockout stages of the World Cup. Ronaldo has surpassed Eusebio to become Portugal’s top scorer with 11 goals in the World Cup.
Rodrigo, who played a major role in Spain’s World Cup win, has created a unique history. He is only the fourth footballer in history to win all four titles – the World Cup, European Championship, UEFA Champions League and Ballon d’Or. The Spanish midfielder set a new record for the most successful passes in a single season with 655 successful passes in the entire tournament.
England captain Harry Kane has also made his name in the record books. He now holds the record for most successful penalties in a World Cup. He has also surpassed Gary Lineker to become England’s top scorer in the World Cup. Kane also became England’s outfield footballer with the most international appearances in the semi-final against Argentina.
Spain’s young star Lamine Yamal may not be the talk of the town in terms of goals and assists, but he was the top dribbler. He made a maximum of 35 successful dribbles in the entire tournament. Yamal also became the first footballer to win both the European Championship and the World Cup at the age of 20.
France’s Michy Auliffe also set a new record for creativity at the World Cup. With seven assists in the entire tournament, he set a new record for the most assists in a single tournament in World Cup history. Along the way, he also broke the record set by Brazilian legend Pele.
The 2026 World Cup was not just a story of Spain winning the title; it was one of the most memorable tournaments in football history, where Ballon d’Or stars broke records one after another and set new standards.
