World Cup 2026 awards: the Guardian team give their final tournament verdicts
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42'
Goal Julio ENCISO (Paraguay) scores!!
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54'
Goal Kai HAVERTZ (Germany) scores!!
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65'
Yellow card Andres CUBAS (Paraguay) is booked by
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105'
Yellow card Gustavo ALFARO (Paraguay) is booked by
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105'+1'
Yellow card Julian NAGELSMANN (Germany) is booked by
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106'
Yellow card Kai HAVERTZ (Germany) is booked by
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115'
Yellow card Jamal MUSIALA (Germany) is booked by
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116'
Yellow card Mads BUTTGEREIT (Germany) is booked by
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117'
Yellow card Alejandro MANOGRASSO (Paraguay) is booked by
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117'
Yellow card Matias GALARZA (Paraguay) is booked by
Germany squad
- Selected
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1 Manuel NEUER Goalkeeper
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2 Antonio RUEDIGER Defender
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4 Jonathan TAH Defender
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5 Aleksandar PAVLOVIC Midfielder
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6 Joshua KIMMICH C Defender
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7 Kai HAVERTZ Forward
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17 Florian WIRTZ Midfielder
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18 Nathaniel BROWN Defender
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19 Leroy SANE Midfielder
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23 Felix NMECHA Midfielder
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26 Deniz UNDAV Forward
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3 Waldemar ANTON Defender
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8 Leon GORETZKA Midfielder
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9 Jamie LEWELING Midfielder
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10 Jamal MUSIALA Midfielder
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11 Nick WOLTEMADE Forward
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12 Oliver Baumann Goalkeeper
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13 Pascal GROSS Midfielder
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14 Maximilian BEIER Forward
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16 Angelo Stiller Midfielder
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20 Nadiem Amiri Midfielder
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21 Alexander NUEBEL Goalkeeper
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22 David RAUM Defender
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24 Malick THIAW Defender
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25 Assan OUEDRAOGO Midfielder
- Full squad
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15 Nico SCHLOTTERBECK Defender
Paraguay squad
- Selected
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4 Juan Jose CACERES Defender
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6 Junior ALONSO Defender
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10 Miguel ALMIRON Midfielder
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12 Orlando GILL Goalkeeper
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13 Jose CANALE Defender
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14 Andres CUBAS Midfielder
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15 Gustavo GOMEZ C Defender
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16 Damian BOBADILLA Midfielder
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19 Julio ENCISO Forward
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21 Gabriel AVALOS Forward
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23 Matias GALARZA Midfielder
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1 Gatito FERNANDEZ Goalkeeper
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2 Gustavo VELAZQUEZ Defender
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3 Omar ALDERETE Defender
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5 Fabian BALBUENA Defender
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7 Ramon SOSA Midfielder
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9 Antonio SANABRIA Forward
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11 MAURICIO Midfielder
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17 Alejandro ROMERO GAMARRA Forward
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18 Alex ARCE Forward
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20 Braian OJEDA Midfielder
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22 Gaston OLVEIRA Goalkeeper
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24 Gustavo CABALLERO Midfielder
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25 Isidro PITTA Forward
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26 Alexandro MAIDANA Defender
- Full squad
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8 Diego GOMEZ Midfielder
The Guardian's football writers have delivered their personal verdicts on the best moments of the 2026 World Cup, picking standout matches, goals and memories from across the tournament. Such end-of-tournament awards pieces let journalists reflect on the drama and quality of the competition beyond the results, highlighting what made this World Cup memorable for those covering it on the ground and from afar.
Several writers singled out England's dramatic 3-2 last-16 win over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium as the standout match, praising the atmosphere and tension of the historic venue. Other contenders mentioned included Germany's shootout defeat by Paraguay, a wild 3-3 draw between Algeria and Austria, Argentina's fightback win over Egypt inspired by Lionel Messi, and Cape Verde's spirited draw with Uruguay in Miami, reflecting the breadth of memorable moments across the tournament's group and knockout stages.
In short
- Guardian writers pick their favourite World Cup 2026 matches and moments
- England's last-16 win over Mexico at the Azteca is a top pick
- Argentina, Germany, Cape Verde and Algeria also feature prominently
Explained simply
The World Cup is an international football tournament in which national teams compete through group matches and knockout rounds. The 2026 edition brought together established contenders and less familiar teams, with matches played across several stages of the competition.
The Guardian’s football writers covered the tournament and chose the moments they found most memorable, including matches, goals and experiences from the venues. Their choices reflect individual judgements about the football and the atmosphere, rather than an official ranking.
These selections offer another way to look back at a tournament whose story is shaped by more than its final results. They also show how different matches can stand out to people watching and reporting from different places.