Spain are FIFA World Cup 2026™ Winners!

Olivia Buzaglo (0:00)

After the biggest FIFA World Cup in history, it is Spain that are champions. Just a few hours ago, their captain, Rodri, lifted the World Cup Trophy for just the second time in the country's history. And we're here to look at how they did it. I'm Olivia Buzaglo, and welcome to The FIFA Podcast.

What a day we have had to cap off an extraordinary World Cup, and there is no one else I would rather do the final podcast of the World Cup with than this man. We're calling you, by the way, Christian Vieri. We're calling you the Messi of podcasts from now on.

Christian Vieri (0:35)

Thank you.

Olivia Buzaglo (0:36)

Do you know why? Not because you're the best, because you are, but you are the best. You are, even though you've been hard. Even though you've been even.

Christian Vieri (0:41)

No, I'm not.

Olivia Buzaglo (0:43)

Basically, because sometimes you just sit there. When there's other people on the podcast, you just sort of sit there, you're quite quiet, and then you just come alive in the right moments. And that's what Messi does.

Christian Vieri (0:52)

Messi on Sundays.

Olivia Buzaglo (0:53)

Messi, yeah. Just first of all, you look like you had a great time. What's the Bobo dance, by the way?

I saw it on your Instagram story.

Christian Vieri (1:00)

I was with my captain, and I was dancing, because there was nice music, and he just started taking some stories.

Olivia Buzaglo (1:06)

Got some moves.

Christian Vieri (1:07)

Yeah, not bad.

Olivia Buzaglo (1:07)

Got some moves.

Christian Vieri (1:08)

Not bad.

Olivia Buzaglo (1:09)

Not bad. And you were hanging out with Carlos Alcaraz.

Christian Vieri (1:12)

Oh, one of my idols. I said to him, I've been wanting to meet you for the last year, you're number one, you're a phenomenal player. I said, when are you going to start playing? Maybe at US Open. I said, I'm going to come on buying tickets.

Olivia Buzaglo (1:25)

Because he's been injured, hasn't he?

Christian Vieri (1:26)

Yeah, he's got a sore bone.

Olivia Buzaglo (1:27)

Is he going to sort you out?

Christian Vieri (1:29)

What does that mean?

Olivia Buzaglo (1:29)

As in like help give you tickets or do you not need that?

Christian Vieri (1:32)

What am I going to get in the stadium? I need tickets.

I need tickets. Please.

Olivia Buzaglo (1:38)

Just on the fans as well, Christian, in the stadium, outside the stadium, I don't know if you saw the fans in Times Square, both sets of Argentinian and Spanish fans have taken over this place, New York City. It's been beautiful to see, hasn't it?

Christian Vieri (1:50)

It's been amazing. And the colours are so fantastic. You got the blue chalice and then you got the red of Spain. It's just amazing. People going around, having fun, have fun and watch a good game.

Olivia Buzaglo (2:04)

And let's talk about the game then, shall we? Obviously, we'll get on to the goal and extra time. And I mean, it finished Spain 1-Argentina Spain ended up lifting the trophy. Was it the game that you expected?

Christian Vieri (2:15)

100%, of course.

We said it yesterday that Spain is going to have the ball position the whole game. And then maybe a couple of counter-attacks and Argentina maybe can score. But it was just one way today. It was just from the first minute to the end of the game. It was just Spain, Spain and Spain. They're just so good. The Spain organization, the Spain Federation, the coaching, the coaches.

They did a fantastic job with this team. A lot of young players. And today they just showed that you don't need big names to win. You need a good team. Spain has an amazing team. And they play as a team, they play together. These one, two touches, the ball positions, the tiki-taka, because I was saying, does tiki-taka exist? Has it come back? And all my ex-teammates were saying, yes, it exists. It exists and it just came back. So it just, they played a phenomenal game. Like Argentina, they hardly ever touched the ball.

And you know, and when they had the ball, the Spaniards would just press them, you know, so they will get it back straight away. And they just dominated from the first minute to the end of the game.

Olivia Buzaglo (3:29)

Was there anything that you thought Argentina could have done differently? Or was it just the fact that Spain was so, so good, as good as they were against France today?

Christian Vieri (3:37)

You know, they were just tired, they had no more energy because, you know, the games they played until the last minute, or the games they won.