The good, the bad and the ugly – the 2026 World Cup had it all

Vozinha reunited with his mother

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha started the World Cup as a veteran breakout star and ended it as a household name (and Instagram celebrity) after his on-pitch heroics – which his mother got to witness in person after being flown to the US.

The 40-year-old footballer stole the show as he leaped, dived and executed a string of saves to keep the eventual world champions, Spain, from scoring in the group stage, something his mother had predicted before the Cape Verdeans made their World Cup debut.

Vozinha, whose real name is Josimar Dias, rued his mother’s absence at the tournament after she was unable to travel due to the cost of a bond payment for a visa to enter the US.

The story went viral and tugged all the right heartstrings as US officials eventually waived her travel fees and made arrangements for her to see Cape Verde’s next game in Miami, Florida.

Lamine Yamal’s little brother as the real star of the show

It’s Keyne’s world (cup) and we’re just living in it.

The three-year-old brother to teen sensation Lamine Yamal became the real star of the show with his unmatched celebrations for Spain that appeared on the big screen.

The 19-year-old may have added a World Cup trophy to his list of accolades, but his love for Keyne indicates what the real prize is to him.

Every match saw Keyne running into the arms of his big brother before exploring the pitch and unknowingly (or knowingly) becoming the World Cup’s most lovable sensation.

Cheering up a young fan who cried at Uzbekistan’s loss

No one seemed more upset at Uzbekistan’s 3-1 loss to Colombia than a young fan who sobbed into a replica trophy after the South American side scored.

Colombian fans around him immediately began chanting, “Uzbekistan! Uzbekistan!” to cheer him up in a moment that went viral overnight and caught the team’s attention.

They invited the boy, identified as Isfandiyor Begmatov, to a team training session where he met the players and went home with a signed jersey, a wolf plushie and a whole lot more love for the Uzbekistan national team.

From pet duck to World Cup icon and gift

Unfazed, unticketed and now a worldwide sensation, Merlin the pet duck rose to overnight fame after being spotted waddling around in a Mexico jersey.

The feathered friend became the World Cup’s unofficial mascot early in the tournament and even met President Claudia Sheinbaum, who promised Merlin’s family they will receive assistance after owner Karla Gomez said she wants to trademark Merlin to help with their piling expenses.

Merlin plushies found their way into the stadium, and one Mexico fan, despite the heartbreaking 3-2 loss to England in the round of 16, gifted the stuffed toy to a young English fan in a moment that encompassed what football fandom should look like.

Mexico fan in Christmas sweater gets team jersey

When Santi’s school asked its students to represent El Tri for Mexico’s World Cup opener, he improvised with a green, red, and white Christmas sweater to prove his love for the host nation.

Little did he know that his dedication would become a viral moment that ultimately led to him getting a jersey customised with Santi, his namesake and Mexico forward Santiago Gimenez, who sent a special message to the young fan.

Bellingham gets his own Hey Jude concert

Jude Bellingham was the man of the hour and, unofficially, man of the tournament for England fans who honoured him with the Beatles’ song Hey Jude after every match.

The 23-year-old became England’s top scorer at the tournament after netting his seventh goal against France to lead his side to third place. He also finished as the third highest scorer after Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.

Curacao’s manager emotional before World Cup debut

The island nation’s manager, Dick Advocaat, was seen wiping away tears before his side’s World Cup debut against Germany as their national anthem rang out.

The 7-1 thrashing that followed was, paradoxically, cause for celebration. Curacao became the smallest ever nation to qualify for a World Cup, and Livano Comenencia gave the tiny Caribbean nation its first ever goal.

Advocaat, 78, became the oldest World Cup manager in history, and he of all people saw Curacao’s rise to the global stage since being appointed in January 2024.

“At my age, with my personality, the emotion easily comes to the surface. Seeing how far we’ve come, that’s something wonderful to experience,” he said.