2026 World Cup

The Good

The expansion to 48-teams gave us a lot more games to enjoy. There were 24 extra games in the group stage and 16 in the initial knockout stage. Sixteen of the 24 third-place teams in the former get to play in the latter. The result was that more teams were in contention for more of the group stage. In a 32-team tournament, only the eight group-winners and their runners-up advance.

The quality was high and consistent. Of the 103 matches played, only eight of them have had goal-differences of four or more goals. Tunisia was the only team to leave with more than one blowout losses. Nonetheless, they were the exception and not the rule. Red cards and goal desperation no doubt made some results seem more lopsided. As always. there were no bad teams at the World Cup—only levels of good.

The outcomes met pre-tournament expectations. All three host nations have advanced to the round of 16. For the first time ever, the semifinalists were the top-four teams. The best players were biggest stars as well. Kylian Mbappé won the Golden Boot. Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembele, and Harry Kane were also top scorers. Lionel Messi carried his team to the final.

The Bad (Mid)

The bad things weren’t too many or too severe. There were complaints of politically-motivated interference on travels, suspensions, and (non)calls. They didn’t have any profound impact on the tournament, though. The most derided aspect was the mandated hydration-breaks. I didn’t mind extra ads during broadcasts or the effect of splitting games into quarters. Every team had to deal with them. The state of VAR technology was not bad.

The Ugly

The ugliest thing was the shameful display of certain South American teams. I didn’t pay much attention to Uruguay, but people commented on their thuggish play. I saw it from Paraguay, in particular against the US and France. Argentina was the worst, by far. I had to miss most of the final, but like every neutral observer, I wanted Spain to win. I wasn’t surprised by the lowlights from the game and post-game.

The Beautiful

The scope of this tournament was impressive. The combined geographic area of the three host nations was a factor, of course. Having three or even four games to watch or listen to every day, for a whole month, was comforting. There were a lot of goals, especially late ones. There was Cabo Verde going the distance with both of the finalists and winning a lot of admirers.

I always think about World Cup tournaments based on happenings on the field and in my life. The tournament itself has been better than the previous two. Being able to watch more of this one might be part of the reason. The 2010 World Cup, in South Africa, might be the most nostalgic for me. The 2026 World Cup might compare down the road, if only for Spain winning both.

This one will mark final World Cup for Cristiano Ronaldo and, likely, for Lionel Messi. I’ve followed their careers, in some way or another, for my entire adult life. I remember playing FIFA 08 for countless hours and doing the same thing, a decade later, with FIFA 18. Beside being superstars in both games, the latter has stars of this World Cup. The regular starters and potential buys for my Chelsea team had been prospects back then.

Tournament Memories

All-Tournament Team

* Denotes player listed outside their natural position

Goalie

Josimar José Évora Dias (Cabo Verde)

Defenders

Marc Cucurella (Spain)
Aymeric Laporte (Spain)
Pau Cubarsí (Spain)
Declan Rice* (England)

Midfielders

Rodri (Span)
Jude Bellingham (England)
Harry Kane* (England)

Forwards

Kylian Mbappé (France)
Erling Haaland (Norway)
Lionel Messi (Argentina)

Best Games

Argentina 3, Cabo Verde 2
Belgium 3, Sengal 2
England 3, Mexico 2
Spain 1, Argentina 0

Worst Games

Belgium 4, USA 1
Paraguay 1 (4), Germany 1 (3)
France 1, Paraguay 0
Argentina 2, England 1

Closing

I’m looking forward to the 2030 World Cup, which will be in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.