WORLD CUP Bonus Episode: The Finals
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
This episode is brought to you by Febreze, and we're coming to you from the official Febreze-sponsored boot room, which, if you know anything about soccer, is usually the last place you want to hang out. This is What Now? with Trevor Noah. 104 matches, 48 teams, 30-something, 32 maybe, knockout games. Six weeks, a feast of football. How do you feel right now? Are you full? Or do you wish this was your new life?
Man, I could always go for seconds when it comes to football.
I could always go for seconds. This was insane, man.
But my God, are you not entertained?
Yeah, are you not entertained? For sure. First and foremost, Spain are the world champions again.
Spain are the world champions. We're the champions. These are the champions.
And I don't want to say it's because of me, but I will say, I will say, every time I've been at a final, Spain has won it.
Also, they did win their first big major championship. South Africa. No, no, their first major championship, 2008. That jersey, the man you're wearing right now. Oh, this one. Oh, yeah, yeah. Not talking about the World Cup only. He scored the goal that set them on a path. On a path.
Let's talk about it. I mean, first and foremost, the World Cup, the final. Like... Everybody who was watching the game in the stadium, on TV, said the same thing. Spain was stifling Argentina. Watching it in real time was even more impressive, you know, because we were lucky enough to be at the game. Seeing how the Spanish team completely pressed every single player on the opposing team, seeing how they attacked together, seeing how Rodri... Can I tell you... Rodri, I don't think has won a single man of the match at this tournament. And I think it's because the man of the match was voted for by fans. And I think the fans, not that they didn't know the game, I think because when you're watching the game on TV, you miss out on so much of what's not happening on screen.
When you're watching the game live, it's easy to say Rodri's man of the match.
How did Spain win the 2026 World Cup final in extra time against Argentina?
He was a colossus. He was a colossus today. He was everywhere. If you just kept your eye on him, you could see the whole game. You didn't have to watch the whole game to see him. He gave us Sergio Busquets vibes. He was everywhere.
But almost like a stronger Busquets.
Stronger, bigger, taller. He's quite a unit. But it was like just watching him, how casual he was. We talked about this during the interview. You said it's like a grandpa in slippers. He was like a grandpa playing in his slippers in his backyard. It wasn't a World Cup final for him. He was immense. The interceptions he made, fully deserved. Fully deserved player of the tournament. Fully deserved in my opinion. Who are you happy for? Baby goat or the goat? I'm happy for... baby got because winning it at 19 winning the world cup sometimes not winning the world cup can become like some kind of albatross around your neck you're not wrong we saw it with ronaldo yeah you're not wrong if you win it now you get it out of the way yeah yeah now you can play your international career you're already a hero yeah so i was really happy for him of course all lamina has to do is win a champions league now which is way easier i would argue yes for yeah for the club than winning because you have a chance every year
He already won the European Championship and was instrumental in that. Part of me wanted... Because there were so many Barcelona boys in that team, in that Spanish team. I wanted Pedri to win. I wanted the minimal of defenders. But do you think Pedri had a good World Cup? He had a good World Cup. He didn't have the World Cup he expected. Pedri expects to always be a starter, but he was unseated by Fabian Luiz. I thought Fabian Luiz, and I can get why he took over. Fabian Luiz is a lot taller. He's a lot bigger. And I think Luiz de la Fuente.
He's also a lot more progressive in this tournament, at least.
But he was very imprecise. That's the thing. He was progressive, but he was very, very imprecise. And I think when Pedri came on, you saw how Spain now took an even bigger stranglehold on the game.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–2:12
2
How did Spain win the 2026 World Cup final in extra time against Argentina?
2:12–4:38
3
Why was Rodri and Spain’s midfield control decisive in the final?
4:38–8:48
4
Which young Spanish players stood out and how did substitutions change the game?
8:48–10:50
5
Did Argentina’s tactics and Messi’s role justify their run to the final?
10:50–49:33
6
What went wrong for England at the World Cup and how should their football culture change?
49:33–53:59
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from What Now? with Trevor Noah
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