There were eight Barcelona players in Spain’s World Cup squad, with only three World Cup-winning sides having more players from one club in their squad:

There was not a single penalty shootout from the quarter-finals onwards at the 2026 World Cup — the first time this has ever happened at a World Cup since the first penalty shootout took place in the competition.

The winner of the World Cup Golden Ball has played for the winning team at two consecutive tournaments for the first time since 1982 & 1986: 1982: Paolo Rossi 🇮🇹 & 1986: Diego Maradona 🇦🇷 2022: Lionel Messi 🇦🇷 & 2026: Rodri 🇪🇸

There were eight Barcelona players in the Spain squad at the 2026 World Cup. The last World Cup winners to have more players from one club than this in their squad were Uruguay in 1950: they had nine Peñarol players.

Lionel Messi has played in 3.2% of all World Cup games in history.

The result yesterday means that 4-2 is no longer the outright most-common scoreline in the World Cup final. 1-0 has now also happened four times.

At just four of the 23 World Cups has the Golden Boot winner represented the winning team: 1962: Garrincha & Vavá for 🇧🇷 1978: Mario Kempes for 🇦🇷 1982: Paolo Rossi for 🇮🇹 2002: Ronaldo for 🇧🇷

The goals-per-game average at the 2026 World Cup of 2.96 was the highest since the 1970 tournament (2.97). Still some way off the 5.38 in 1954 though! Here is how it has changed through history:

The 2030 World Cup will be the first in history where the defending champions are also a host nation.

Very pleased to say that due to its popularity during the World Cup, Connections: Soccer Edition will be continuing every day for the foreseeable future! Play today's game here ⚽️🧩: www.nytimes.com/athletic/con...

Spain are the first country to win the World Cup twice in the 21st century.

Ferran Torres, who scored the winning goal for Spain in the World Cup final, was born on February 29 and he was congratulated afterwards by Spain's prime minister — Pedro Sánchez — who was also born on February 29.

This was the first World Cup final without an Inter Milan player since 1978 (and a Bayern Munich player but that was confirmed before kick-off).

Five of the last six World Cup finals have gone to extra time.

Today's Connections: Soccer Edition puzzle is here ⚽️🧩: www.nytimes.com/athletic/con...

#OTD in 1930, Argentina's Guillermo Stábile scored the first of his eight goals at that year's World Cup. His four appearances in that tournament were the only international matches he played, meaning his goals-per-game average for Argentina was 2.0 (eight goals in four games).

Countries to have had a player score a World Cup hat-trick since Brazil last did (Pelé in 1958): 🇩🇪: 5 hat-tricks (3 as West Germany) 🇦🇷: 4 🇵🇹: 4 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿: 4 🇫🇷: 3 🇭🇺: 2 🇵🇱: 2 🇷🇺: 2 (1 as Soviet Union) 🇪🇸: 2 🇨🇦: 1 🇨🇿: 1 (As Czechoslovakia) 🇩🇰: 1 🇮🇹: 1 🇳🇱: 1 🇵🇪: 1 🇨🇭: 1 Yugoslavia: 1

Exactly a third of Kylian Mbappé's France goals have been scored at the World Cup (22/66).

If there are five goals in today's final then the 2026 World Cup will have averaged exactly three goals per game — which would be the first time a World Cup has averaged 3.0 goals per game (or higher) since the 1958 tournament (3.6).

The 2026 World Cup is England's best-ever performance in a World Cup on foreign soil.

France and England in 2026 (both 20 goals) are the first teams to score 20+ goals at a World Cup since France in 1958 (23 goals). The most scored by a side at one World Cup is Hungary with 27 in 1954.

Bukayo Saka is the first player to score a World Cup hat-trick in the month of July since Paolo Rossi did so for Italy against Brazil in 1982.

Kylian Mbappé (10 goals) is the first player to reach double figures for goals at a World Cup since West Germany’s Gerd Müller in 1970 (also 10 goals).

Kylian Mbappé (nine goals) is the first player to score more than eight times at a World Cup since West Germany’s Gerd Müller in 1970 (10 goals).

England have now scored more goals at this World Cup than France (17 v 16).

#OTD in 1950, Uruguay beat host nation Brazil 2-1 in the deciding game of that year's World Cup. Uniquely, the 1950 World Cup did not have a final and instead the four group winners contested a round-robin 'final round' which saw Uruguay emerge victorious.

Regardless of who wins this year's World Cup final the 2030 tournament will be the first World Cup in history where the defending champions are also a host nation.

There will be no Bayern Munich player in the World Cup final for the first time since 1978.

If England win the second semi-final: No Inter Milan player in the World Cup final for the first time since 1978 If Argentina win the second semi-final: No Bayern Munich player in the World Cup final for the first time since 1978

This will be England's eighth semi-final at a major tournament and on every single occasion they have played in the second SF: Did England play in second semi-final? 1966 WC: ✅ 1968 EC: ✅ 1990 WC: ✅ 1996 EC: ✅ 2018 WC: ✅ 2020 EC: ✅ 2024 EC: ✅ 2026 WC: ✅