The Netherlands win a rare FIFA award after the World Cup final, even though they had their worst-ever finish.
The Netherlands got a special award from FIFA after the World Cup, even though they left the tournament early in the round of 32. Ferran Torres scored in extra time to help Spain win their second World Cup title, while Argentina finished second in their third final in just four tournaments. The South American team made an unfortunate record by having zero shots on target in the final.
Lionel Messi, who probably played his last World Cup for Argentina, had a tough game and didn’t win the Golden Boot. He scored eight goals, two less than France’s Kylian Mbappé. England’s Jude Bellingham and Norway’s Erling Haaland both scored seven goals, and Harry Kane and Ousmane Dembélé scored six each.
Spain’s captain Rodri won the Golden Ball for being the best player, with Messi taking the Silver Ball and Mbappé the Bronze Ball. Spain’s goalkeeper Unai Simón got the Golden Glove after only letting in one goal in eight matches, and his teammate Pau Cubarsí won the FIFA Young Player award.
While these awards were expected, many fans might not know that the Netherlands, who were knocked out by Morocco on penalties in the round of 32, received the FIFA Fair Play Award. They earned this for having only three yellow cards and no red cards during the tournament.
According to FIFA, the Fair Play Award comes with a football-related social project supported by McDonald’s, worth up to $50,000. Although this prize is nice, it won’t make up for the Netherlands’ toughest World Cup performance ever in 2026. After the loss to Morocco, their coach Ronald Koeman said he would step down.
Koeman shared on Instagram, “Looking back on my career, I feel very proud. I’ve worked with clubs and people who gave me memories to treasure forever. We all hoped to make history at this World Cup, but it didn’t happen. No one is more disappointed than me. These past years have reminded me there’s more to life than football. Football has been my life, but health is what really matters. When someone you love is facing a tough fight, your view of life changes.”
Here’s a list of past Fair Play Award winners before the Netherlands in 2026:
1970: Peru
1974: West Germany
1978: Argentina
1982: Brazil
1986: Brazil
1990: England
1994: Brazil
1998: England & France
2002: Belgium
2006: Brazil & Spain
2010: Spain
2014: Colombia
2018: Spain
2022: England
2026: Netherlands