Opinion Piece
As the World Cup comes to an end, it was fought both on the field and online.
At one stage of the 2026 World Cup, Argentina could have been blamed for economic uncertainty, energy prices, climate change, Pique cheating on Shakira, and the death of Mufasa. No matter the winning mentality, no matter the seizing of big moments. No matter the eternal inevitability of that chap from Rosario, it had become about always finding a way to tear something else down, rather than focus on something admirable.
Well, this is the age of social media, with over 17 billion impressions during the World Cup. That’s quite a lot of tweets, reels, mud-slinging and self-anointed analysts, sticking their swords into anyone they could reach from their armchairs. And most often their pointed tips reached for Luis Scaloni’s band of villains. Painted as cheats, hooligans and any other dart used to pin on the South Americans- this tournament allowed people to justify the stereotypes.
With AI-generated videos, fake images and conspiracy theories spreading rapidly online, the importance of fact-checking, avoiding mob-mentality and just trying to hang out with people who had a basic knowledge of sport not toxic hype, were now more important than ever to cut through the noise.
But let’s not remove emotion completely from the palette. We can’t paint a masterpiece if we’re using safe and dull colours. We need to unleash some emotion. As British writer and sociologist David Goldblatt aptly puts it in his brilliant book The Age of Football: “Certainly, there is no shortage of irrational, myopic, deluded and obsessive behaviour in the football world.” But just as significantly: “Football is often a distraction; in some ways that is the point.”
And so to a mouth-watering prospect of a final, and what was your poison? What emotion would you be consumed with? Argentina. What a team. Hard and resilient. Ready for a dog-fight. Never ever, ever, ever giving up. Hunting in packs. Ready to dismiss haters. Messi, Messi, Messi.
Spain. What a team. Luis del la Fuente’s vertical positional play- possession with purpose. Explosive wingers, faster tempo and aggressive pressing. All on the back of technical freedom meaning there are no rigid positions. It starts with a slow circulation then some vertical passing. Before you know it there are some quick exchanges and then an immediate attack. Boom- you’re dead. This was quite simply a modern evolution of the tiki-taka days of a decade ago.
In the end, the best team won the tournament. And the final wasn’t even close. Spain had 65% possession and completed twice as many passes as their opposition. They also had 20 shots to Argentina’s one, making sure the reigning champions offered no attacking threat. Despite finishing 1-0, it was arguably one of the most statistically dominant performances ever seen in a World Cup final. Argentina lost their cool. They couldn’t keep up. They won man, not ball. And let more stereotypes take over.
The problem with this, and all of the other moments building up to the brute physicality that accompanied their game- is that it took away from Spain’s genius. Still, La Roja etched their way into history. The first team ever to win the Euros and then the following World Cup on two separate occasions. Class.
The biggest viral moment of this World Cup wasn't a goal. It was a 19-year-old photograph of Lionel Messi holding baby Lamine Yamal, just days before the two faced each other in the final. Before and after the game, they embraced. A symbolic moment and passing of the torch. Messi, having given his all at 39, his mortality on display, hugging the would-be successor to the throne.
The Argentinian left the field, having broken many World Cup records. The oldest scorer of a hat-trick, the longest scoring streak ever, the most goals from outside the area, the most assists in the knockout phase. Yet, the team always wins, and Lamine the Dream, who may not have had the best tournament, was the one who got to stay on the field. And take in the post-match celebrations with football’s ultimate prize. Messi will always have Qatar. Who knows how many other tournaments Yamal will conquer.
One could argue these were the best two teams in the tournament. Yet that is also harsh on France and England who possessed their own beauty. Look at the 3rd and 4th place play off. No longer shackled, each team allowed to unleash their attacking capabilities. These are the top 4 ranked teams in the world for a reason. And any of them being in the final would have been justified. Those are the fine margins in football. And WC semi-finals generally hand on a knife-edge, which could have gone either way.
And the rest of the tournament? Where to begin? A first World Cup with 48 teams. A first for Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan. The most red cards ever (15) and goals scored (313). Fine, there were more games, but that meant more action, more drama. More reason for online, studio and bar opinions. The emotion.
Records and history continued to be made. Cristiano Ronaldo was the first ever player to score in six different tournaments. Kylian Mbappe became the all-time top scorer. This edition also attracted over 6 million spectators, surpassing the previous record set in the US in 1994. This was the first ever tournament to be hosted by three nations and Mexico are the first ever country to have hosted 3 different World Cups.
Post match crowd celebrations brought fans closer to their players. Norway led the way with their Viking Row ritual. England belted out cult favourite Wonderwall and France synchronised clapping. Japanese fans even stayed behind after their players left, to clean the stadiums.
Ghana’s witch doctor went viral and made predictions that were less than desirable, stating that Cape Verde would knock Argentina out and that Portugal would win the World Cup. Still, the power of the mystical and unknown made no one question him, until after matters panned out.
Hydration breaks were cursed at within homes and booed within the stadiums. As sponsors licked their lips, players and staff recuperated around tactics, digital devices and the urge to find ways to improve play. Rumour has it they also drank water.
With many actors, musicians and sports stars hailing from the US, the celebrities gathered in the crowd at many a game. From David Beckham’s influence on the MLS to Hollywood embracing football through the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell and Natalie Portman, the game has spread to this continent with the World Cup stitching all the fever together.
Perhaps it was a plethora of hate and trolling on social media. But then again, people were engaged online. And the World Cup still mattered. What a time to watch football- even if the time differences were a little ridiculous for many a fanatical nation. And if things go FIFA’s way, which they almost always do, there could be 64 teams at the next one. That’s a lot of damn hydration breaks.
Image Sources
1) Patricia del Melo/AFP
2) NBC Sports Philadelphia
3) Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
4) PA Wire
5) Yahoo Sports
6) Reuters
7) Hakan Akgun/Anadolu via Getty Images
8) Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times
9) Stu Forster/Getty Images