Top moments from the FIFA World Cup 2026

The FIFA World Cup 2026 was a tournament unlike any before it. For the first time, three countries – Canada, Mexico and the United States – came together to host football’s biggest global spectacle.

The tournament also entered a new era, expanding from 32 to 48 teams. The larger format gave more nations the opportunity to compete on the world’s biggest stage and allowed emerging football countries to showcase their progress.

The expanded tournament also featured World Cup debuts for Cape Verde, Jordan, Curaçao and Uzbekistan, with each newcomer creating moments that will remain part of the tournament’s history.

From emotional reunions and acts of kindness to unlikely celebrities and historic firsts, Gulf News looks back at some of the most memorable moments from the 2026 World Cup.

Lamine Yamal has already established himself as one of football’s biggest young stars, boasting more than 50 million followers on Instagram.

But during the World Cup, it was his three-year-old younger brother, Keyne, who emerged as a fan favourite.

Keyne became a familiar presence during Spain’s matches, with television cameras regularly capturing him shouting “Vamos!”, pulling funny faces and sharing adorable moments with his older brother.

He was also part of Spain’s celebrations after their historic triumph, posing alongside Yamal and the World Cup trophy.

Yamal said during the tournament that his younger brother had probably not yet realised how much attention he was receiving.

“I don’t think he’s realised,” Yamal said. “He does what he does at home and when the camera is on him, he does something goofy.

“When he’s older, he’ll see it. I like that people have so much love for him. I like seeing him on the screen. He entertains me.”

It began in a bathtub and ended on football’s biggest stage.

Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal sharing the pitch in a World Cup final was a remarkable sight, made even more extraordinary by the fact that their first meeting came nearly 19 years earlier, when Yamal was just a baby.

Yamal’s parents had won a raffle for a photoshoot with a Barcelona player and were paired with a young Messi. Photographs from that day show a 20-year-old Messi cradling five-month-old Yamal – and even bathing him.

Fast forward nearly two decades, and the two found themselves together on the grandest stage of all.

After the final whistle, Messi was left devastated on the pitch following Argentina’s defeat. Yamal walked over to him, and Messi rose to his feet before the pair exchanged a handshake and shared a warm embrace. A story that began almost two decades ago had come full circle at the World Cup final.

A video featuring Spanish footballer Nico Williams has gone viral on social media after he was seen walking towards the stands and handing his World Cup medal to his mother. The two held each other’s hands as they exchanged an emotional greeting, with Williams' mother visibly moved yet overjoyed by the historic achievement. She proudly wore the medal and celebrated her son's success as the touching moment unfolded.

Within hours, the clip had spread across social media, winning the hearts of fans around the world.

To many, it was simply a touching gesture from a son to his mother. But behind that heartfelt moment lies a powerful family story of survival, sacrifice and unwavering parenthood — a journey that began long before Nico Williams ever dreamed of becoming a football star.

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha began the tournament as an experienced veteran and ended it as one of its breakout stars.

The 40-year-old, whose real name is Josimar Dias, produced a remarkable performance against eventual champions Spain, making a string of spectacular saves to keep his team in the contest.

But his heroics were made even more meaningful by the presence of his mother, who was able to travel to the United States to watch her son play on football’s biggest stage.

Before Cape Verde’s World Cup debut, Vozinha had spoken emotionally about his mother’s absence. She had initially been unable to make the trip because of the financial burden of a visa bond required to enter the US.

His story quickly spread online, prompting an outpouring of support. US officials eventually waived the travel fees and helped arrange for his mother to attend Cape Verde’s next match in Miami.

She finally got to watch her son perform at the World Cup, turning their reunion into one of the tournament’s most heartwarming stories.

Uzbekistan’s 3-1 defeat to Colombia was a particularly painful experience for one young fan, who was filmed sobbing into a replica World Cup trophy after Colombia scored.

But what followed transformed a heartbreaking moment into one of the tournament’s most touching displays of sportsmanship.

Colombian supporters sitting nearby began chanting “Uzbekistan! Uzbekistan!” in an effort to comfort the boy. The footage quickly went viral and eventually reached the Uzbekistan team.

The young supporter, identified as Isfandiyor Begmatov, was later invited to a team training session, where he met the players and received a signed jersey, a wolf plush toy and a memory that helped turn a painful defeat into an unforgettable experience.

Unbothered, unticketed and unexpectedly famous, Merlin the pet duck became one of the surprise stars of the 2026 World Cup.

Merlin shot to international fame after being spotted wearing a Mexico jersey and soon became an unofficial mascot of the tournament.

The duck’s popularity grew so rapidly that Merlin even met Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. She reportedly offered to help Merlin’s family after owner Karla Gomez revealed plans to trademark the character amid rising expenses.

Merlin plush toys soon began appearing in stadiums, but one of the most touching moments came after Mexico’s heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to England in the round of 16.

A Mexico supporter gave a Merlin stuffed toy to a young England fan – a simple gesture that perfectly captured the spirit of football and showed that fierce competition on the pitch can still coexist with kindness and friendship off it.

Curaçao created history at their first-ever World Cup by scoring their maiden goal in the tournament.

Although they eventually suffered a heavy 7-1 defeat to Germany, the landmark strike represented years of progress for the Caribbean nation.

The goal sparked celebrations among supporters in Curaçao and across the country’s diaspora, giving fans a historic moment to cherish.

For a nation making its World Cup debut, the goal marked another significant milestone and added yet another memorable chapter to the story of the expanded 48-team tournament.