Sydney Lopes Cabral’s spectacular strike for Cape Verde against Argentina has been officially named the best goal of the 2026 World Cup by FIFA.
The goal, scored in the round of 32, earned Cabral the FIFA “Hyundai” Goal of the Tournament award after a global fan vote on the governing body’s official website.
Cabral produced the standout moment when he brilliantly dribbled past Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister before unleashing a superb shot into the top corner of Emiliano Martinez’s net. The effort drew Cape Verde level at 2-2 in a dramatic knockout tie eventually won 3-2 by Lionel Messi’s Argentina after extra time.
FIFA confirmed that Cabral’s strike finished top of the public poll, beating two other highly rated efforts: a goal by Uzbekistan forward Eldor Shomurodov against DR Congo and another by Haiti’s Wilson Isidor versus Morocco, which came second and third respectively.
Beating star names to the prize
The Cape Verde forward’s goal also finished ahead of several high-profile contenders that made the final shortlist.
Among those were a strike by Kylian Mbappe against Senegal, a goal from Lionel Messi versus Algeria, a finish by Julian Alvarez against Switzerland, and the decisive effort scored by Ferran Torres in the final against Argentina.
Despite his award-winning goal, Cabral and Cape Verde exited the competition at the round-of-32 stage following that narrow extra-time defeat by Argentina.
Historic World Cup for Cape Verde and title for Spain
The 2026 tournament marked Cape Verde’s first-ever appearance at a World Cup. They advanced beyond the group phase at the first attempt before their campaign ended against the reigning South American champions.
At the other end of the competition, Spain were crowned world champions for the second time in their history. They defeated Argentina 1-0 in a final that also went to extra time, securing the title after a tightly contested match.
FIFA’s announcement of Cabral’s accolade comes as part of its post-tournament honours, with the fan-voted award highlighting a landmark moment both for the player and for Cape Verde’s debut on football’s biggest stage.
