The 2026 World Cup already has the winner of the award for the best goal of the tournament. FIFA announced that Sidny Lopes Cabral's spectacular score against Argentina in the Round of 16 was chosen as the best of the entire competition, thanks to a finish that surprised rivals and fans.
Although Cape Verde ended up eliminated in extra time, the defender's goal was recorded as one of the great plays of the championship and received the highest support in the vote organized by FIFA.
Sidny Lopes Cabral's goal that conquered the world of football
The score came in the 103rd minute of the match, during overtime. After Lisandro Martínez put Argentina ahead again, Sidny Lopes Cabral equalized the score with a powerful right-footed shot from a very tight angle on the left side of the area.
The footballer, born in the Netherlands in 2002 and recently signed by Trabzonspor from Benfica, left Alexis Mac Allister behind with a cut-back before taking a shot that ended up in the opposite corner.
"As soon as I surpassed my rival, I saw a gap and I thought: 'Let's try it'. I have a good shot with both legs. I saw the space and aimed for the corner. I looked for that place and hit a great shot. When I looked up and saw that the ball was going towards the corner, I thought: 'What did I just do?'. I couldn't believe it," the player acknowledged, speaking to FIFA.
"I looked at my teammates and they were all shouting, with their hands on their heads, overflowing with joy. I started running without thinking. Then I realized that I had just scored a spectacular goal in a World Cup. Everyone dreams of scoring in a World Cup, but doing it this way, in a setting like this and against an opponent of such a level, was incredible. I was really happy," he continued.
The goal did not prevent the elimination of Cape Verde
Despite Sidny Lopes Cabral's spectacular score, the result did not favor Cape Verde. In the 111th minute, an own goal by Diney ended up qualifying Argentina, which advanced to the next round of the tournament.
Even with the elimination, the defender's goal remained one of the most memorable images of the championship and was now officially recognized as the best of the World Cup.
Marcelo also voted for the best goal of the tournament
The recognition not only came from FIFA. Sidny Lopes Cabral revealed that he received a message from former Real Madrid and Brazil national team player, Marcelo, who even confessed that he voted for his score.
"After the game I received a message from Marcelo. He is one of my biggest idols. He is a left back, dominates both legs and has extraordinary technique. He told me that he had voted my goal as the best of the tournament! I could only think: 'I can't believe it!'" he said.
The Top 3 goals of the 2026 World Cup
In addition to the first place achieved by Sidny Lopes Cabral, the FIFA podium was made up of:
Goals by Shomurodov and Isidor were scored during the Group Stage, while Sidny Lopes Cabral's spectacular finish in the Round of 16 ended up earning FIFA's most important recognition.
