The 2026 FIFA World Cup was an extremely memorable tournament filled with incredible games, atmospheres and goals throughout. Let’s take a look at and rank the top five goals of the tournament.
The goal of the tournament is the easiest selection on this list and is one that will be remembered for years to come. Sidny Lopes Cabral’s golazo in the Round of 32 was one of the most shocking and incredible strikes we’ve seen in World Cup history, and his goal was equally integral in leveling the score at 2-2.
Although Cape Verde ended up losing 3-2, Cabral’s goal came at a huge moment and nearly flipped the entire momentum of the match on its head. The incredible angle of the shot, combined with the fact that it came against one of the best goalkeepers in the world in Emiliano Martínez and the reigning champions Argentina, solidifies this goal as the best of the tournament.
Up next we have Julián Alvarez’s amazing curling goal against Switzerland in the quarterfinals. While Alvarez’s strike was certainly one of the best of the tournament, what makes his goal so special were the circumstances surrounding it.
Argentina were tied 1-1 with Switzerland, and it looked like the match was heading to extra time before Alvarez flipped the game in the 112th minute. His curling effort from the left side of the box put Argentina ahead and sent them on their way to the semifinals, breaking through a stubborn Swiss defense that was hoping to force a penalty shootout.
Up next, we have a goal from one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, as Norway took down Brazil in the Round of 16. This game might go down as one of the best performances of Erling Haaland’s career as he scored a brace to secure Norway’s 2-1 victory. His second strike to seal the match was an incredible left-footed effort that flew like a bullet past goalkeeper Alisson.
What made this goal so special wasn’t just that it likely secured victory for Norway, but the way Haaland generated so much power with almost no momentum before rifling the ball into the bottom-right corner. That type of power can’t be taught, and it came in one of the biggest matches in Norway’s soccer history.
A number of Kylian Mbappé’s 10 goals this summer could have made this list, but his goal against Morocco is a perfect example of his class and ability to turn a game on its head. For the first 60 minutes of France’s quarterfinal against Morocco, the match was evenly contested and looked destined for extra time.
Everything changed when Mbappé received the ball near the left edge of the box with very little space and placed a perfect shot into the top-right corner past goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Once France broke the deadlock, they never looked back, scoring another goal just six minutes later. Goals like this are exactly why Mbappé is considered one of the game’s biggest match-winners and why he secured his second Golden Boot at the World Cup.
The second Cape Verde goal on this list belongs to Kevin Pina’s incredible free kick from more than 30 yards out. While most players would have looked to cross the ball from that distance, Pina went directly for goal and made history by scoring Cape Verde’s first-ever goal at a FIFA World Cup.
Pina’s goal helped Cape Verde draw against Uruguay and was a crucial goal that resulted in them qualifying for the knockout stage of the tournament.
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