If you’re asking "who won the 2016 World Cup" while sitting at a bar with a bunch of sports fans, you’re probably going to get three different answers depending on whether they’re wearing ice skates, carrying a cricket bat, or obsessed with soccer. It's a bit of a trick question. Actually, it’s a major trick question because the "FIFA World Cup"—the big one everyone thinks of—didn’t even happen in 2016. That's a four-year cycle, and 2016 was smack in the middle of Germany's 2014 glory and France's 2018 takeover.
But sports don't just stop because FIFA is on a break.
In the world of hockey, 2016 was a massive deal. In the world of Cricket, it was legendary. Even in soccer, while there was no "World Cup," the 2016 season was defined by underdog stories that felt like world championships. Let's get into the weeds of who actually took home the trophies that year.
The World Cup of Hockey 2016: Canada’s Dominance
When most North Americans ask about the 2016 World Cup, they are talking about the World Cup of Hockey. This wasn't a standard IIHF event; it was the NHL’s own high-stakes tournament held in Toronto. Canada won. Honestly, was there ever a doubt? They didn't just win; they steamrolled people.
Team Canada, led by Sidney Crosby, faced off against Team Europe in a best-of-three final. Now, Team Europe was a weird experiment. It wasn't a country. It was a "best of the rest" squad featuring players from nations like Slovakia, Slovenia, Denmark, and Germany—basically anyone who wasn't from the Big Six hockey powers. It sounds like a gimmick, right? It kind of was. But they actually made it to the finals.
Canada took the first game 3-1. The second game was tighter, way tighter than it should have been. Team Europe was leading 1-0 late in the third period. It looked like we were going to a Game 3. Then Patrice Bergeron tied it up with less than three minutes left. Then, with just 44 seconds on the clock, Brad Marchand scored a shorthanded goal that basically sucked the air out of the building. Canada won 2-1, swept the series, and claimed the 2016 World Cup of Hockey trophy.
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Sidney Crosby was the MVP. He had 10 points in six games. Looking back at that roster, it was basically a Hall of Fame lineup: Toews, Price, Bergeron, Getzlaf, Doughty. It was unfair.
The 2016 ICC World Twenty20: "Remember the Name"
If you're in India, Australia, or the UK, the answer to who won the 2016 World Cup is undoubtedly the West Indies. This was the ICC World Twenty20, the T20 version of the World Cup. It was absolute chaos in the best way possible.
The final was held at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. West Indies vs. England.
England put up 155 runs. It was a defendable total, but not a huge one. As the game reached the final over, the West Indies needed 19 runs to win. In the world of cricket, 19 runs in six balls is a tall order. Ben Stokes was bowling for England. Carlos Brathwaite was at the crease for the Windies.
What happened next is etched into sports history. Brathwaite hit four consecutive sixes.
Six.
Six.
Six.
Six.
Ian Bishop, the commentator, screamed, "Carlos Brathwaite! Remember the name!" It was one of those rare, visceral moments where a trophy was snatched away in a matter of seconds. The West Indies became the first team to win the T20 World Cup twice. They celebrated by doing the "Champion" dance, a song by Dwayne Bravo that became the anthem of the tournament. It was pure joy.
Wait, what about Soccer in 2016?
Technically, there was no FIFA World Cup. But if you’re searching for this because you remember a huge international trophy being lifted in the summer of 2016, you’re thinking of Euro 2016 or the Copa América Centenario.
Portugal won Euro 2016. It was their first major international trophy. The final against France was a melodrama. Cristiano Ronaldo got injured early on and spent the rest of the game basically acting as a secondary manager on the sidelines, limping around and shouting instructions. Eder—a player nobody expected to be the hero—scored the winning goal in extra time.
Over in the Americas, Chile won the Copa América Centenario. They beat Argentina in the final on penalties. This was the night Lionel Messi famously "retired" from international football (though he obviously came back later to win it all). So, while neither was a "World Cup," they carried the same weight for fans that year.
Why do people get confused about the 2016 World Cup?
It usually comes down to the naming conventions of different sports organizations. The NHL calls their tournament the "World Cup of Hockey" to differentiate it from the Olympics or the World Championships. The ICC uses "World Cup" for both their 50-over and 20-over (T20) formats.
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Add to that the fact that 2016 was an Olympic year in Rio, and the sports calendar was just completely jammed.
The Underdog Theme of 2016
There was something in the water in 2016. Whether it was the West Indies winning when they were basically at war with their own cricket board, or Portugal winning a final without their best player, or even Leicester City winning the Premier League (which, let's face it, felt like a World Cup win for the city), 2016 was the year of the "unlikely."
Even Team Europe in the hockey World Cup was an underdog story. Nobody expected a group of guys from eight different countries who had never played together to beat the US and Sweden. They almost forced Canada to a Game 3.
Actionable Takeaways for Sports Researchers
If you're trying to settle a bet or write a report, here is how you categorize 2016's winners to avoid any confusion:
- Hockey: Team Canada won the 2016 World Cup of Hockey by defeating Team Europe in Toronto.
- Cricket: The West Indies won the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 (the T20 World Cup) by defeating England in India.
- Soccer (Europe): Portugal won the UEFA European Championship (Euro 2016) by beating France.
- Soccer (Americas): Chile won the Copa América Centenario by defeating Argentina.
- Futsal: Argentina won the 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup, beating Russia 5-4 in the final. This is actually the only "FIFA World Cup" that took place in 2016.
Always check the specific sport before citing a winner. Most people assume "World Cup" means soccer by default, but in 2016, the real action was on the ice and the cricket pitch. If you are looking for the soccer version, you have to look ahead to 2018 (France) or back to 2014 (Germany).
To dig deeper into these specific rosters, you should look at the official archives of the NHL, the ICC, or UEFA, as they maintain the full statistical breakdowns of these 2016 tournaments.