Cabral Wins 2026 FIFA World Cup Best Goal Award

Sydney Lopes Cabral, winger of the Cape Verde national team, won the Best Goal award in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after the International Football Federation (FIFA) chose his stunning strike against Argentina as the tournament’s most beautiful goal, according to an official announcement published on its account on the “X” platform.

An exceptional shot that made history

The winning goal came in the Cape Verde vs. Argentina clash in the knockout stages, when the match was drawing to a close in extra time, with the African side trailing 2-1.

In the 103rd minute, Cabral received the ball on the left flank, then beat his defender with a quick burst toward the penalty area, before unleashing a powerful and precise shot that settled into the far upper corner, bringing his team back into the game with an equalizer for 2-2 amid the astonishment of fans and followers.

The selection committee considered that the goal combined individual skill, technical precision, and difficulty of execution, in addition to its importance in a decisive match against one of the leading contenders for the title, earning it first place among all the tournament’s goals.

Strong competition with goals from top stars

Cabral’s path to the award was not easy, as his goal outshone a group of strikes scored by the tournament’s biggest stars, most notably Kylian Mbappé’s goal against Senegal, Lionel Messi’s goal against Algeria, as well as Julián Álvarez’s goal against Switzerland, and Ferran Torres’ goal that gave Spain victory over Argentina in the final.

Spain crowned world champions

On the title race front, the Spanish national team succeeded in lifting the World Cup for the second time in its history after defeating Argentina 1-0 in the final, which went to extra time before Spain settled it with a goal that gave them global glory.