World Cup 2026 winners: Spain won football, rugby league final is Nov 15
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Spain won the 2026 FIFA World Cup, beating Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the July final.
- Rugby league's 2026 champion is still undecided. The final is set for November 15 in Brisbane.
- The rugby league semi-finals are this weekend: New Zealand face Tonga on Saturday, Australia face Samoa on Sunday.
Spain won the 2026 FIFA World Cup in July. The 2026 Rugby League World Cup winner is still unknown. That is why so many people are asking "who won the world cup 2026" right now.
The answer depends on which sport you mean. This year has two World Cups, and they are very different events. Here is the full picture, explained simply.
The football World Cup: Spain won it
Spain won the FIFA World Cup 2026 on July 19. They beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time. The final was played at the New York New Jersey Stadium, in East Rutherford, USA.
The match stayed 0-0 for 90 minutes. Then substitute Ferran Torres scored the only goal in the 106th minute. FIFA reported that it was his first goal of the tournament.
It gave Spain their second World Cup title.
Spain also made history in another way. They became the first nation to hold the men's and women's World Cups at once. FIFA confirmed the record.
Argentina were the defending champions. Their star Lionel Messi was trying to win back-to-back titles, but Spain stopped him.
Three players took home the big individual awards. Rodri won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. Unai Simon won the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper.
Pau Cubarsi won the Young Player award.
This was the first World Cup with 48 teams. It had 104 matches in total. It started on June 11 and ended on July 19. Matches were played across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The rugby league World Cup: still wide open
Nobody has won the 2026 Rugby League World Cup yet. The tournament started on October 15 and runs until November 15. It is being played in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, with ten men's teams.
The final is set for Sunday, November 15. It will be played at Lang Park in Brisbane, with kick-off at 6:35pm local time. The winners of this weekend's two semi-finals will meet there.
So the trophy is still up for grabs. Here is where the tournament stands.
What happened this week
The last round of group games finished on Sunday, November 1. Tonga beat Samoa 20-18 at CommBank Stadium in Sydney, according to NRL.com. That hard-fought win sent Tonga into the semi-finals.
New Zealand won their place too. They are the Pool A runner-up. Australia finished as Pool A winner.
Samoa grabbed the second spot from the combined Pools B and C.
That gives us two exciting semi-finals. They are both in Australia, and both kick off at 8:05pm AEDT.
New Zealand play Tonga on Saturday at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle. Australia play Samoa on Sunday at Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
Why it matters
These semi-finals are big for three reasons. First, the winners get a shot at the trophy on November 15. The final will be at one of Australia's most famous stadiums.
Second, the match-ups are fresh and exciting. Australia are the defending world champions, and Reece Walsh is their star fullback, according to NRL. com.
But Samoa are a dangerous team with nothing to lose.
Third, the Pacific nations are having their best-ever tournament. Tonga and Samoa both reaching the semi-finals shows how much international rugby league has grown. Fans in Sydney, Auckland and Nuku'alofa will all be watching closely.
The key players to watch
Australia have named a strong team. Cameron Murray returns from a calf injury on the bench. Latrell Mitchell is also back on the bench after missing two games.
Reece Walsh keeps the fullback spot.
New Zealand have injury worries. Star player Kalyn Ponga broke his arm in the opening game against Australia, reported NRL. com.
He is on the reserves list and may return this week. Phoenix Crossland is also on the reserves list after serving a four-game suspension. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad starts on the wing for the suspended Ronaldo Mulitalo.
Tonga are sticking with their winning team. They named the same 19 players who beat Samoa. Halfback Isaiya Katoa played the full 80 minutes on his return from an ankle injury.
He partners Tui Lolohea again.
Samoa have made changes. Chanel Harris-Tavita is out with a hamstring injury. Ronald Volkman takes his place at five-eighth.
Deine Mariner returns on the interchange after his own hamstring problem.
What happens next
Saturday: New Zealand v Tonga in Newcastle, 8:05pm AEDT. Sunday: Australia v Samoa in Sydney, 8:05pm AEDT. The two winners then get a week to prepare for the Brisbane final.
To follow the games, see our guide on how to watch the Rugby League World Cup. It lists the broadcast options. New Zealand earned their spot with a decisive win over Fiji at the weekend.
That set up the Kiwis' clash with Tonga.
There is also more World Cup news beyond the men's game. The women's tournament and the wheelchair tournament are running alongside the men's event. For the wider picture, read our November 1 roundup of NRL and World Cup news.
The bottom line is simple. Spain already have their trophy from the summer. But in rugby league, the biggest prize is still waiting.
By Sunday night, we will know which two teams get to play for it in Brisbane.
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