Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe have been beaten to another 2026 World Cup award, FIFA have confirmed.

Messi and Mbappe were the frontrunners to win the coveted World Cup Golden Ball award but eventually lost out to Rodri after Spain beat Argentina in the final on July 19.

Now the Argentina and France superstars have lost out in the battle for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Goal of the Tournament award.

Messi scored several stunning goals during the tournament. The 39-year-old’s exquisite touch and first-time finish against Cape Verde was magnificent, as was his instinctive strike against Egypt that cannoned in off the underside of the crossbar.

Mbappe, who claimed the World Cup Golden Boot award after scoring 10 goals during the tournament, also wowed the crowds in North America with several moments of individual brilliance. Both players are among the contenders for the 2026 Ballon d’Or award.

​​​​​​​FIFA Reveal 2026 World Cup Goal of the Tournament

REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli

However, the Goal of the Tournament award has been handed to Sidny Lopes Cabral, whose sensational strike in Cape Verde’s 3-2 defeat to Argentina claims the prize.

FIFA confirmed via their website: “Sidny Lopes Cabral’s stunner for Cabo Verde against Argentina in the Round of 32 has been voted the Hyundai Goal of the Tournament for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Cabral said: “The moment I dribbled past my opponent, I saw an opening and thought, ‘Let’s have a go’. I shoot well with both feet. I saw the space and was eyeing the top corner. I aimed there and struck the ball really well.

“When I looked up and saw it heading for that top corner, I thought, ‘What the hell did I just do?’ I couldn’t believe it. I looked at my team-mates – everyone was screaming, hands on their heads, overjoyed.

The 23-year-old full-back, who has completed a move from Benfica to Trabzonspor, added: “Before the game, I’d told my mom and my girlfriend that if I scored, I’d run over to them. When I got there, I saw my mom crying; she hadn’t even realised I was right there. Everyone was busy tending to her because she had fainted when I scored!

“After the game, I got a message from [Real Madrid and Brazil legend] Marcelo. He’s one of my biggest idols. I always admired him. He’s a left-back, plays with both feet, and had great technique.

“He told me he voted for my goal as the best of the tournament! I replied, ‘Thank you so much! I don’t know how to thank you. I’m so excited and honoured that you saw me play.’ And he said, ‘It was a pleasure watching you play; you’re really good.’ I was just like, ‘My word!’ I couldn’t believe it when I got his message.”

Tottenham are set to enter the market to sign a third midfielder in the summer transfer window, but two of their current crop could head through the exit door.

It’s already been an incredibly busy summer transfer window for the North London club, but their business appears to be far from over.

Tottenham are still in the market for further reinforcements as they look to bolster Roberto De Zerbi’s options.

I suppose I’ve already brought in Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes in the middle of the park, but we could see them add another midfielder before the deadline.

Spurs appear keen to completely overhaul their squad, offloading a load of their current stars while bringing in new ones.

Tottenham eye third midfielder

via Reuters

According to a top Tottenham source, Tottenham are ready to enter the market for a third midfielder in the summer transfer window, but it could see two of them head through the exit door.

Lucas Bergvall is still expected to leave the club, and Pape Matar Sarr is also expected to go, with an interested club set to step up their interest soon.

Tottenham’s business has slowed down slightly in recent weeks, but that’s perhaps due to the fact that they still need to offload some of their stars.

Departures could see Tottenham’s business sparking to life once again, and that appears to be the case in midfield.

Third midfielder options for Tottenham

via Reuters

It is unclear who the third midfielder option for Tottenham could be, but they have been linked with a move to sign Bournemouth’s Alex Scott in the summer transfer window.

The English midfielder is believed to be a Tottenham supporter, and Spurs are one of the sides who are showing an interest in securing his signature.

Scott is believed to be interested in a move to Stamford Bridge to join Chelsea. It would be interesting to see if anything changes if Spurs firm up their interest.

Bournemouth are keen to keep Scott at the club heading into next season, and they are willing to offer him a new contract to tempt him to remain with the South Coast club.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has issued a stinging statement in response to Gianni Infantino’s 2026 World Cup rant.

Infantino has been accused of going ‘full Donald Trump’ with an unexpected statement posted on FIFA’s official website and across 15 slides on his Instagram account.

The under-fire FIFA president blasted critics of the 2026 World Cup, claiming they’ve been “consumed by hate” and urging them to “meditate, pray or watch a football match” in order to “find peace”.

Infantino claimed this summer’s tournament in North America featured “no violence, no incidents, 100% safety and security” – ignoring the fact four supporters tragically died during World Cup celebrations in Mexico City.

He defended the treatment of Iran’s national football team, issues over visas, and even the hugely controversial Folarin Balogun red card situation.

“Indeed, ‘arguable’ referees’ decisions or ‘strange’ disciplinary rulings such as for instance potentially mistaken red or yellow cards or subsequent decisions not to ban players in certain situations are routine and widely accepted in some of the biggest leagues worldwide,” Infantino wrote. “It’s curious that the same countries employing these practices are the ones criticising.”

La Liga President Responds to Infantino’s World Cup Statement

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

Rather than convince people that the 2026 World Cup was a tournament without any downsides, Infantino’s statement appears to have had the opposite effect.

The “lame-duck FIFA president” now finds himself under even more scrutiny, with La Liga president Tebas tweeting:

Infantino Called to Appear Before Congress Over Trump Ties

Reuters/Mark J Rebilas

Meanwhile, Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House judiciary committee, has launched an investigation into Infantino, seeking documents that would detail the ties between FIFA and US President Donald Trump and his administration, per The Guardian.

“[Y]our election as FIFA president was supposed to mark a red-card break from a decades-long culture of corruption and scandals that dressed down world soccer’s reputation,” Raskin wrote to Infantino in the letter.

“Instead, at the start of your tenure, you dismantled FIFA’s ethical guardrails and disabled the organization’s ethics committee by pushing out most of its members. This lack of transparency and oversight has since paved the way for you to ingratiate yourself with the Trump administration via tactics that a New York University law professor and one of your former ethics committeemen described as ‘legal bribery’.”

Trump, who has close ties with Infantino, has reportedly lined up a potential new job for the under-pressure FIFA president.