MIAMI — Let the World Cup hangover begin.

The biggest, most extravagant soccer party in history is over after nearly six weeks; and fans, the diehards as well as the newbies, will have to find ways to fill their afternoons and weekends now that Spain took home the trophy and the world’s best players have gone back to their club teams.

Despite pre-tournament worries over dynamic ticket pricing, tight U.S. visa restrictions, an expanded field and extreme summer heat, the 2026 FIFA World Cup concluded as a record-breaking financial and sporting success.

Even though many fans were priced out of going to games in person, the tournament shattered records with a total attendance of 6.81 million and stadiums at 99.7 percent capacity, according to FIFA. T.V. viewership also reached new highs.

Let’s take a look back at some of the tournament Winners and Losers:

Winner: Spain. La Roja is the undisputed champion of the world after stifling favorite France in the semifinal, Lionel Messi’s Argentina team in the final and conceding just one goal through eight tournament matches.

Winner: Argentina. Although they had to settle for second-place silver medals, which is not what it came for, the fiery Argentines delivered dramatic comebacks round after round. Messi, at 39, proved he is still in peak form, carrying his team and finishing runner-up in the Golden Boot race with eight goals. And nobody beats Argentine fans for passion, as 20,000 of them filled Times Square for a massive “Banderazo” on the eve of the final.

Loser: Also Argentina. Other than Messi and coach Lionel Scaloni sobbing, the final image of this Argentina team will be a postgame altercation that began when midfielder Leandro Paredes grabbed Spain defender Eric García by the neck and threw him to the ground, leading to a near-brawl. Also, the entire team skipped the mandatory postgame media interview zone, opting to head down a side hallway to the bus. They were vilified on social media, with many calling them sore losers. FIFA announced Monday that its disciplinary committee is investigating “potential breaches of the FIFA Disciplinary Code with regard to the postmatch incidents.”

Winner: Africa. The expansion to 48 teams meant Africa got 10 spots instead of five, and it took advantage. Nine of the 10 advanced to the knockout stages, following Morocco’s 2022 semifinal run in Qatar.

Winner: Tartan Army. Who can forget those lovable Scots? No Scotland, No Party.

Winner: Norway. Soccer aficionados were aware of Erling Haaland, the Manchester City star, but the rest of the sports world fell in love with the affable, long-haired Norwegian. His Instagram feed became a must-follow and grew from 40 million followers to more than 70 million. Norwegian fans’ synchronized rows caught on, too, and will be an indelible memory of this Cup.

Winner: Mexican and Korean fans. They shared one of the most heartwarming bonds during this World Cup, especially in Southern California and in Mexico. Videos of them partying together went viral as Mexican fans chanted: “Coreano, hermano, ya eres Mexicano” (Korean brother, you are already Mexican).

Winner: Mexico-England bond. Mexican fans also endeared themselves to the England national team and its fan base after their suspenseful quarterfinal in Mexico City, which England won 3-2 after a weather delay and playing a man down. The mutual admiration went so far that the England Football Association reportedly is going to invite Mexico to play a friendly at Wembley Stadium.

Loser: Germany. The four-time World Cup champion, for so long one of the most feared teams, continued its woeful ways with a round of 32 exit. This followed group stage exits in the previous two World Cups. Coach Julian Nagelsmann lost his job as a result.

Winner: Miami Fan Fest. More than 600,000 fans attended the FIFA Fan Festival Miami at Bayfront Park over 24 days, and it was free of charge, allowing non ticket-holders to feel immersed in World Cup spirit. “Every day, Bayfront Park became a place where people from different countries, cultures and backgrounds came together to celebrate an incredible sense of community,” said Alina Hudak, president and CEO of the World Cup Miami host committee.

Winner: FOX and Telemundo. There was something for everyone, in English and Spanish, for hour after hour, and even after hours with the entertaining “After Hours with James Corden Show.”

Winner: Shuttle buses. South Florida has a reputation for being averse to public transportation, or at least unwilling to try it, but it turned out there was no better way to get to the seven Hard Rock Stadium games than taking the efficient, punctual buses from various pickup/dropoff points around town. Dolphins fans tired of traffic jams should consider using the complimentary GEICO HRS Express shuttle buses that leave from Lot 70 (across Hard Rock Casino) and Lot 95 (Golden Glades Parking Garage), the same spots World Cup fans used.

Loser: FIFA. U.S. President Donald Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino and asked for a review of the red card that had been issued to U.S. star forward Folarin Balogun in the game against Bosnia. Instead of refusing to let politics mix with the sport, Balogun was restored to the team for the round of 16 game against Belgium after initially facing a mandatory one-game suspension. Though FIFA insisted the decision was made by an independent review panel, it was a bad look, caused a distraction for the U.S. team, gave Belgium added motivation and created ill-will toward an otherwise feel-good American team.

Winner: Vozinha. Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper went from unknown to more than 29 million Instagram followers. He made seven saves against Spain and eight saves against Argentina. He’s a free agent and surely fielding plenty of calls.

Winner: Goalkeepers. In addition to Vozinha, Spain’s Unai Simón, Argentina’s Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez and Curacao’s Eloy Room stood out. Simón claimed the Golden Glove with a historic seven clean sheets in eight matches and conceding just one goal. Martinez broke the World Cup Final record with 11 saves against Spain. Room set a World Cup record for most saves in a 90-minute regulation match, recording 15 saves against Ecuador in a 0-0 draw.

Loser: VAR Review. Technology is intended to make the game more fair, but Croatia and Egypt would argue. Croatia’s late disallowed goal against Portugal eliminated them, while Egypt filed a formal complaint following a 3-2 round of 16 loss to Argentina where a goal was disallowed after a video review of a play that happened all the way across the field.

Winner: Japanese fans. They are globally renowned for their tradition of cleaning up stadiums after sporting events. They bring along blue garbage bags and fill them after matches.

Winner: Jude Bellingham. The 23-year-old English star had a breakout tournament and won over fans with kind gestures on and off the field. He passed up a chance to score and gave teammate Bukayo Saka the ball during England’s 6-4 victory over France in the third-place game, so Saka could convert a penalty kick for a hat trick. Also, Bellingham stopped to speak with Manu Gutiérrez, a Venezuelan journalist who uses a wheelchair, after England’s win against DR Congo. Other players walked past, but he stopped and offered a heartfelt message of support in Spanish to Venezuelan earthquake victims.

Winner: Volunteers. They worked long hours, but did a great job making visitors feel welcome.

Winner: Small-town America. Foreign tourists who chose to drive from venue to venue discovered hidden pockets of the U.S. and posted on social media about their favorite convenience stores and fast-food joints.

Toss-up: The Americanization of the World Cup. From amped-up pregame ceremonies, to hydration breaks that interrupted the game into four quarters, to a glitzy final halftime show, soccer purists expressed concern that these new wrinkles would ruin the sport.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente is not so sure.

“Before starting this journey in May we had a meeting with the players about how this unique World Cup would pan out,” he said. “We talked about the peculiarities. Heat and humidity, travel, time zones. We said, `It is what it is’. No one complained. Nobody made a face. Everything we considered strange or odd, hydration breaks, longer halftime, maybe 30 years from now it becomes normality. We must accept and adapt and enjoy it.”

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