Spain have been crowned champions of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, bringing to a close a tournament staged under unprecedented security measures, including extensive surveillance operations, which organisers say ensured no significant attacks occurred despite the vast scale of the event and the millions of spectators it drew. The tournament produced numerous memorable footballing moments, but the celebrations that followed Spain's victory were overshadowed by tragedy when a fountain partially collapsed during World Cup festivities in Ciudad Rodrigo, in the Salamanca region of Spain.

A 13-year-old boy died as a result of the fountain collapse, and two other young people were injured in the incident, casting a shadow over the closing stages of the competition. The tournament's climactic halftime show, headlined by Madonna and Justin Bieber, was also reportedly marked by behind-the-scenes tension between the two performers, though details of this have not been fully clarified.