Spain beat Argentina 1-0 on July 20 to claim the 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy, capping off a 104-game tournament that produced 308 goals across 48 participating nations. The Athletic published its definitive team rankings after the final whistle, placing Spain at the top and Argentina second.
The tournament by the numbers
This was the first World Cup played under the expanded 48-team format. The 308 total goals across 104 matches averaged out to just under three per game. Norway emerged as one of the surprise packages, reaching the quarterfinals and earning praise in The Athletic’s rankings for punching above their weight class on the world stage.
Kraken plants a flag, but crypto’s bench is thin
On June 9, 2026, Kraken was announced as the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the 2026 World Cup, covering North America and Europe. Kraken was essentially the only major crypto entity with a visible presence at the tournament, compared to the dozens of traditional sponsors from sportswear giants to beverage companies to automakers that blanketed every stadium, broadcast, and billboard.
