Rodri staggeringly completed 790 passes, shattering his own record for the most ever registered by a player at a World Cup. The midfielder made 638 successful passes at Qatar 2022 to break the competition best Xavi had set at South Africa 2010 (599). Rodri’s nearest challengers in North America were Pau Cubarsi (668) and Aymeric Laporte (618).
Spain defenders Marc Cucurella and Pau Cubarsi played 750 minutes – the joint-most among outfield players alongside Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.
Mikel Oyarzabal forced 58 turnovers – more than any other player. The 29-year-old forward was followed by Spain team-mate Pedri and Morocco’s Neil El Aynaoui (both 51). Dani Olmo applied the most defensive pressures (305).
Spain’s victory at New York New Jersey Stadium left them unbeaten in 38 matches – a new men’s international record. Since a 1-0 loss to Colombia in March 2024, La Roja have won 29 and drawn nine games. Italy went 37 outings without defeat from 2018 to ’21.
Lamine Yamal completed the most dribbles at this tournament (35). He was followed by France’s Kylian Mbappe (28), Argentina’s Lionel Messi (25), Brazil’s Vinicius Junior (23) and Belgium’s Jeremy Doku (21). Diego Maradona holds the record for the most successful take-ons in one edition (53 at Mexico 1986). Messi has the most this century (46 at Brazil 2014).
Lamine Yamal, at 19 years and six days, became the joint-fourth youngest player to win the World Cup. Only 18-year-old Italy defender Giuseppe Bergomi and 17-year-old Brazilians Pele and Ronaldo were younger. Bergomi was comically nicknamed ‘The Uncle’ because, despite his age, he had a thick moustache! Pau Cubarsi, at 19 years and 178 days, went seventh on the list, one place above Kylian Mbappe.
Spain scored 14 times at these finals. It was two more than their personal best for a World Cup, inspired by Emilio Butragueno in 1986, and six more than they managed in their title-winning campaign in 2010.
Spain charged to the title with seven successive victories. Only Brazil, with 11 from 2002 to ’06, managed more consecutive wins.
Unai Simon amazingly kept seven clean sheets in eight matches – the most ever registered in a single World Cup. The next best was five, managed by the Netherlands’ Jan Jongbloed in 1974, Italy’s Walter Zenga in 1990, Brazil’s Taffarel in 1994, France’s Fabien Barthez in 1998, Germany’s Oliver Kahn in 2002, Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon in 2006 and Spain’s Iker Casillas in 2010. Simon, who recorded a shutout in his last appearance at Qatar 2022, set a new record for not conceding in the World Cup: 650 minutes until he was finally beaten by Belgium’s Charles De Ketelaere in the quarter-finals. Italy’s Walter Zenga had held it at 517 minutes.
Mikel Oyarzabal netted five times at this tournament, equalling the Spanish record for a World Cup. Emilio Butragueno got five goals at Mexico 1986 and David Villa followed suit at South Africa 2010.
Ferran Torres become only the second substitute to score the winner in the World Cup final after Mario Gotze for Germany in 2014. Overall, the Valencian was the fifth player to rise from the bench and bag in the fixture – the Netherlands’ Dick Nanninga, Alessandro Altobelli of Italy and West Germany’s Rudi Voller also did – with four curiously doing so against Argentina.
Spain conceded just one goal – the fewest ever let in during a World Cup-winning campaign. France in 1998, Italy in 2002 and Spain themselves in 2010 had leaked two.
Sources: FIFA Official
