Team USA, Breanna Stewart Dominate 2026 Women's World Cup Amidst Global Talent Showcase

Team USA has done it again. After looking shaky at times in Berlin, the Americans used a dominant second half to pull away from France for a 97-79 win in Sunday's final at the 2026 Women's World Cup. Team USA has now won five consecutive World Cup titles and a record 12 overall.

France had to settle for the silver medal -- their best-ever finish at the World Cup -- while Spain took home the bronze after crushing the hosts Germany in the third-place game early on Sunday.

Before we turn our attention back to the WNBA, which will resume its 2026 season on Sept. 17, let's take a look at some of the winners and losers from the World Cup.

Winner: Team USA

This one is obvious, but that doesn't make it any less true.

Team USA lost A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum days before the World Cup started, had seven players making their World Cup debut on the roster and dealt with real stress against Italy, Spain and France (in the first half). And the Americans still walked away undefeated with a fifth consecutive World Cup title.

This was the fifth World Cup title in a row for Team USA, which has tied the Soviet Union for the most consecutive golds, and the Americans' 12th title overall.

Most World Cup titles

Country Titles

USA

12

Soviet Union

6

Australia

1

Brazil

1

This was the 36th consecutive victory at the World Cup for Team USA, which has not lost at the event since the semifinals in 2006. In fact, between the World Cup and the Olympics, the Americans have won 72 consecutive games at major international tournaments. The 2006 World Cup is the last time Team USA has not won gold at the World Cup or Olympics -- a 20-year run of total dominance.

The dynasty lives: Team USA survives first-half scare to down France, win fifth straight FIBA World Cup gold Jack Maloney

Loser: The rest of the world

Here are a few facts about Team USA and this World Cup:

- Team USA lost four-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson, the best player in the world, and Kelsey Plum days before the tournament started - The Americans also had seven players -- Aliyah Boston , Paige Bueckers , Sonia Citron , Caitlin Clark , Rhyne Howard , Kiki Iriafen and Angel Reese -- making their World Cup debuts - The tournament happened right at the end of a grueling WNBA season, which meant Team USA was unable to hold a pre-tournament training camp or play any warm-up games

If no one could beat Team USA at this tournament, when will it happen?

The 2028 Olympics are going to be on American soil, and moving forward, the World Cup will take place in November and December, which benefits American players, fewer and fewer of whom play overseas after the WNBA season ends. By the 2032 Olympics and 2034 World Cup, the likes of Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, Olivia Miles and JuJu Watkins will be in their primes with plenty of international experience.

The rest of the world has made significant strides over the last few years, and France and Spain, in particular, will only continue to get better. But given Wilson's last-minute departure and the lack of experience for Team USA, this felt like another country's best chance to knock off the Americans for a while.

Winner: Breanna Stewart

Look up the definition of a winner in the dictionary, and you'll find a picture of Breanna Stewart .

Stewart, who made her Team USA debut at the 2014 World Cup when she was still at UConn, has never lost a game in the red, white and blue. She's now 20-0 at the Olympics and 26-0 at the World Cup, with three Olympic golds and four World Cup golds. Her four World Cup golds are tied with Sue Bird for the most ever by an American -- men or women.

Stewart put up 22 points, 10 rebounds and four assists Sunday on 7 of 10 shooting, and was named MVP of the tournament after averaging 12.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 0.7 steals on 55.3% shooting. She is the first player ever to win multiple World Cup MVP awards. (She also earned the honor in 2018.)

"The thing that I appreciate about her the most is her willingness to do anything to help the team. It's so rare in a player of her caliber," Team USA coach Kara Lawson said. "She will play any position -- did you see her playing point guard? She will play any position for us to win. That quality is why she's the greatest winner that we've had probably. Four World Cups, that's tied for the most ever. You rattle off the other things on the resume. She is USA Basketball... We're really lucky to be a part of her era."

> STEWIE (22 PTS, 10 REB, 4 AST, 7-10 FGM) IS YOUR 2026 @FIBAWWC MVP 🔥 Breanna Stewart is the first player to earn MVP honors multiple times (2018, 2026) as she captures her fourth Women’s World Cup Gold! @usabasketball wins their fifth straight title! pic.twitter.com/u4hMr1QRO4 — NBA (@NBA) September 13, 2026

Loser: Belgium

Last summer, Belgium pulled off a remarkable comeback in the final of EuroBasket Women 2025 to defeat Spain and win gold at the competition for the second time in a row. The Black Cats entered Berlin as one of the biggest threats to knock off Team USA, and a clear medal favorite.

But after a perfect 3-0 start in the group stage, Belgium was stunned in the quarterfinals by Germany. An upset loss is one thing, but the Germans completely dominated that game. They never trailed after the first quarter and led by double digits for nearly the entire second half.

Once again, Belgium failed to walk away with a medal at a major worldwide tournament. Here are their most recent results at the World Cup and Olympics:

Year Tournament Finish

2026

World Cup

5th

2024

Olympics

4th

2022

World Cup

5th

2020

Olympics

7th

2018

World Cup

4th

Star point guard Julie Allemand did not mince words after the defeat to Germany. "It's been great for us the past few years, and we probably got lucky at times," Allemand said . "But today I think it's time to ask the right questions and to figure out what to do in the future."

Winner: Iyana Martín

After the expansion Portland Fire selected 20-year-old Spanish guard Iyana Martín with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, Fire general manager Vanja Černivec asked for patience from the team's fans. Martín, who was a draft-and-stash pick and did not play in the WNBA this season, was a "generational talent," Černivec said.

"She can push the pace," Černivec continued. "She's one of the best at reading the pick-and-roll and can break down a defense and get to the hoop. We thought she was just an amazing fit for what our coaches wanted to do."

In Berlin, Martín showed why Černivec and the Fire were so excited to add her to their roster and view her as an integral part of their future.

Against Team USA in the semifinals, Martín was one of the best players on the floor and put up 17 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals on 5 of 8 shooting. For the tournament, she finished with averages of 17.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.2 steals on 54.5/45.5/90 shooting splits. She led Spain in scoring, assists and steals, and was fourth in scoring among all players.

For her efforts, which included a 22-point, nine-assist outing in Spain's win over Germany to claim a bronze medal, Martín was named the World Cup Rising Star and earned a spot on the World Cup All-Star Five.

No individual player raised their stock more in Berlin than Martín.

Loser: Ezi Magbegor

In the first quarter of Australia's quarterfinal qualifier against Italy, Ezi Magbegor drove to the basket. As she took a bump from Lorela Cubaj, her right knee buckled and she collapsed to the ground. An MRI later revealed that Magbegor had torn her ACL and would miss the remainder of the tournament and the WNBA season.

Magbegor will likely miss the beginning of the 2027 WNBA season as well, though the Seattle Storm have not announced an official recovery timeline.

Ezi Magbegor tears ACL at World Cup, is out for remainder of WNBA season: What it means for the Storm Jack Maloney

The torn ACL ended a frustrating year for Magbegor, who dealt with a number of injuries. She hurt her foot while playing for Australia in the World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Istanbul in March, and missed the first seven weeks of the WNBA season. Shortly after her debut, Magbegor broke a bone in her face and was sidelined for another three weeks.

In between all of the injuries, Magbegor was never able to find a rhythm. In 14 games, she averaged 6.9 points, four rebounds and 1.2 blocks on 39.8% shooting -- the worst marks since her second season in the league. As a result of her injury-shortened campaign, Magbegor's streak of four consecutive All-Defensive Team appearances will come to an end.

Winner: Trinity San Antonio

Most WNBA fans are likely unfamiliar with Trinity San Antonio, but that may not be the case for much longer after her breakout performance in Berlin.

San Antonio, who played her college basketball at Cal Baptist and Grand Canyon, was the 2025 WAC Player of the Year, but went undrafted in the 2025 WNBA Draft. She has since plied her trade in France and for the Puerto Rican national team, which she led to a third consecutive World Cup appearance.

Puerto Rico was knocked out in the quarterfinal qualification stage by China in a heartbreaking defeat, but not for a lack of effort from San Antonio. In one of the best individual efforts by any player in the tournament, San Antonio finished with 24 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and five steals.

For the tournament, she averaged 15.5 points on 56.8% shooting, 3.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and a remarkable five steals, which led all players. Despite her efforts, San Antonio was snubbed from the World Cup Second Team, largely as a result of Puerto Rico's early exit. She certainly must have made an impression on the numerous WNBA personnel in attendance, however.

San Antonio has made a big move to join French team Basket Landes, which will compete in EuroLeague Women this winter. If she can back up her play in Berlin, she has a real chance to earn a shot in the WNBA next season. Her quickness and perimeter defense are traits that will only become more valuable as the WNBA becomes more and more a guards' league.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/wnba/news/2026-womens-world-cup-winners-losers-breanna-stewart-team-usa/)._