Sidny Lopes Cabral's stunner voted World Cup 2026 goal of the tournament

FIFA has announced the winner of the fan vote for the best goal of the 2026 World Cup, and it belongs to Cape Verde's Sidny Lopes Cabral - a curling rocket that found the top corner against Argentina. The moment came deep in extra time of the Round of 32 clash in Miami Gardens. Lopes Cabral picked up the ball and sent a bending strike into the far upper netting to level the score at 2-2. Argentina eventually snatched a 3-2 victory, but that goal was already being marked as something special. A total of 308 goals were scored across the tournament. FIFA compiled a shortlist of 12 for an open public vote that ended Monday. Lopes Cabral's masterpiece beat worthy efforts from Eldor Shomurodov (Uzbekistan vs Congo) and Wilson Isidor (Haiti vs Morocco). The celebration added its own chapter to World Cup lore. The moment the ball hit the net, Lopes Cabral broke free from his teammates and sprinted to the stands where his mother and girlfriend were seated. "I told my mum and my girlfriend before the game that if I score, I'd run to them. When I got there, my mum had passed out. She didn't even realize I was next to her," he said afterward. Cape Verde were one of the tournament's biggest surprises. Beyond pushing Argentina to the limit, they held eventual champions Spain to a 0-0 draw, thanks largely to goalkeeper Vozinha's heroics. The World Cup 2026 Best XI was also released earlier.