Overview of the Tournament
The 2026 World Cup was full of spectacle, scandal, and compromise. On the field, it was a good rather than great tournament, with several fine and dramatic games—such as Brazil v Japan, Morocco v the Netherlands, England v Mexico, Argentina v Cape Verde, Norway v Côte d’Ivoire, Belgium v Senegal, Norway v Brazil, and Argentina v Egypt—mostly in the last 32 or last 16. The quarter-finals were not especially inspiring. Argentina’s win over England in the semi was thrilling and involved a collapse that will be discussed for years, but Spain’s win over France was almost too easy. The final was dismal; the right team won in their familiar bloodless way, but the grim spectacle was a direct consequence of the indulgence shown Argentina earlier in the tournament.
Controversies and Issues
The Balogun Affair could have major consequences, as bending before political pressure swept aside 64 years of precedent to ensure a particular player could take the stage, similar to Gianni Infantino’s actions with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. This may lead to expansion of the World Cup to 64 teams as Infantino shores up his base. The treatment of Iran was scandalous, and ticket prices are now out of reach for regular fans. Host cities face financial and social costs, including street sweeps of the homeless in the US and Canada, and water extraction and environmental damage in Mexico. Italian newspaper la Gazzetta dello Sport called the World Cup a “disaster” and had its ticket allocation for the final slashed from five to two after criticizing the tournament.
FIFA and Media Relations
FIFA showed a contemptuous attitude towards the media, with basic organization and facilities being the worst for at least six World Cups. While some venues like Houston and Atlanta were welcoming, the overall approach treated fans as revenue units and media as an imposition.
Final Assessment
The ending colors what went before, dragging this tournament behind 2022 and 2018, let alone the glorious World Cups of the 1980s or 1998. It sits in the middle rank, above or below 2014 and 2006. It was not great but good, and beyond the FIFA bluster, that’s fine.
