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The 10 best goals of the 2026 World Cup

Messi's Argentina vs. Cape Verde best photos from World Cup round of 32
Sidny Lopes Cabral #13 of Cabo Verde celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between Argentina and Cabo Verde at Miami Stadium on July 03, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida.

The World Cup has ended, but some of the tournament's best goals will live on forever.

The 2026 World Cup has ended, but some of its best goals will live on forever.

Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the final on Sunday, July 19, clinching its second World Cup title.

The tournament was filled with some outstanding strikes, making it tough to narrow down the best. But we gave given it a shot anyway.

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Here, in no particular order, are the 10 best goals of the 2026 World Cup.

Julian Alvarez, Argentina vs. Switzerland - Quarterfinal

The Argentina star settled a tight quarterfinal in extra time with an incredible bending strike from distance.

Erling Haaland, Norway vs. Brazil - Round of 16

In nonchalant fashion, Haaland picked up the ball at the edge of the box and cracked a low drive through everyone to seal Norway's spot in the quarterfinal.

Wilson Isidor, Haiti vs. Morocco - Group stage

With almost no run-up, Isidor generated an insane amount of power on this rocket to the upper corner.

Kylian Mbappe, France vs. Morocco - Quarterfinal

We have this one as the pick of Mbappe's 10 goals because it's nearly physically impossible. How does Mbappe hit this sidefooted with no spin and have it go straight in the corner?

Mostafa Ziko, Egypt vs. Argentina - Round of 16

We love a good counterattack and Ziko's goal for Egypt was a textbook example. Unfortunately, Egypt would concede three times late to let its two-goal lead slip away.

Sidny Lopes Cabral, Cape Verde vs. Argentina - Round of 32

Cabral may have scored the goal of the tournament with a bolt from the blue in extra time against Argentina, leveling the match for upset-minded Cape Verde.

Eldor Shomurodov, Uzbekistan vs. DR Congo - Group stage

Shomurodov stunned Congo early with an audacious chip that caught the goalkeeper in no-man's land.

Ferran Torres, Spain vs. Argentina - Final

It probably wasn't the best goal of the World Cup, but an extra-time strike to win the title has to be on this list. Credit Nico Williams with a great backwards header to find Torres, who kept his cool in a pressure-filled moment.

Kerim Alajbegovic, Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Qatar - Group stage

The teenager weaved through traffic before unleashing a fierce shot from outside the box, helping his country reach the knockout phase for the first time.

Lionel Messi, Argentina vs. Algeria - Group stage

Argentina's first goal of the World Cup was classic Messi. The attacker found a pocket of space between the defense and midfield, accelerated at the perfect moment and struck a perfect finish from outside the box.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The 10 best goals of the 2026 World Cup

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