Spain may have conquered the footballing world by lifting the FIFA World Cup 2026 title, but surprisingly, they are not considered football's "unofficial world champions."
Luis de la Fuente's side defeated defending champions Argentina 1-0 in the final at the MetLife Stadium to secure only their second FIFA World Cup crown, capping off a remarkable tournament in which they conceded just one goal.
While La Roja officially sit at the summit of world football after winning the biggest prize in the sport, another European nation holds a rather unusual title that has fascinated football fans for years — the Unofficial Football World Championships (UFWC).
What are the unofficial world champions?
The UFWC follows a simple boxing-style concept. Rather than being decided through a tournament every four years, the title changes hands whenever the reigning unofficial champions lose an international match.
The idea dates back to the very first official international football match between England and Scotland in 1872. Since then, every defeat suffered by the reigning holders transfers the unofficial crown to the victorious nation.
Unlike the FIFA World Cup, the title can change several times within a single year depending on international fixtures.
Why don't Spain hold the title?
Spain's World Cup triumph does not automatically make them the unofficial world champions because Argentina were not the UFWC holders heading into the tournament.
Instead, that honour currently belongs to Turkey, despite their disappointing FIFA World Cup campaign.
Turkey endured a forgettable tournament and were eliminated during the group stage after failing to score in defeats against Australia and Paraguay. However, they managed to end their campaign with a dramatic 3-2 victory over the United States, and that single result was enough to hand them the unofficial crown.
The United States had entered that match as the reigning unofficial world champions after defeating Australia 2-0 during the group stage on June 19.
Australia, in turn, had claimed the title earlier this year by defeating Kosovo in March 2026, continuing the chain that has defined the UFWC for more than a century.
Although Spain cannot claim football's unofficial championship, there will be little disappointment within the Spanish camp.
Winning the FIFA World Cup remains the pinnacle of international football, and La Roja achieved exactly that by overcoming some of the strongest teams in the competition before edging Argentina in the final.