Was the 2026 World Cup a Success or a Failure?
“There’s never been anything like it, probably in terms of an event, let alone soccer.”
That was U.S. President Donald Trump’s typically understated take on the 2026 World Cup, which he also claimed to be “probably five times” more successful than any event FIFA has held previously.
Alongside Trump’s praise, FIFA president Gianni Infantino is basking in profits, with soccer’s governing body set to announce record-smashing $15 billion revenues from the tournament.
The 2026 World Cup was—perhaps unsurprisingly given the extra matches—the most attended in the competition’s near-100 year history, while the final between Spain and Argentina broke television viewing records in the United States.
But outside of the cold, hard numbers that will dominate FIFA’s PR releases for years to come, how much of a success was this new-look tournament really? And what does it mean for the future of the World Cup?
Expanded Format
A major source of debate was the expansion from 32 to 48 teams, which necessitated a first format change to the tournament since 1998.
Instead of an initial phase of eight groups of four teams with the top two advancing, this summer’s iteration featured 12 groups, with the top two from each joined by the eight best third-placed sides in the knockouts. For the first time, the competition also featured a round of 32 stage, meaning the winners were required to play eight matches in total.
Some—including Infantino—argue that the expanded format provided a platform for more nations to come to the fore. However, the flip side is that the quality of the group stage became diluted, there was little jeopardy for the bigger nations and no “group of death”. Without naming names, Infantino’s claim that “every team played at a high level” is simply not accurate, while the true driver for expansion is the extra revenue more matches brings.
As it has been at the European Championships, the best third-placed system proved awkward and meant three rounds of matches were played to eliminate just a third of the teams.
Infantino has already teased a 64-team tournament in 2030, which would at least fix the format problem, but would mean a group stage populated with 12 more teams—potentially of even weaker quality than the worst at this summer’s tournament.
Verdict: Failure
Host Cities
From 1978’s confetti and Adidas Tango to 2010’s vuvuzelas and Jabulani, every World Cup has a unique look and feel. In terms of pure aesthetic, 2026 shone, with the host stadiums a key factor.
The Azteca was already a bonafide World Cup legend long before this summer, but soccer fans across the globe were also introduced to awe-inspiring arenas across the continent from the celebrity-stacked SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, with its never-ending screen, to Dallas’s AT&T Stadium, also known as “Jerry World”.
- NEXT: Ranking the 16 2026 World Cup Stadiums
On the ground, reports of issues with organizational and safety issues were relatively few and far between—though public transport and accommodation costs remained eye-wateringly high in many locations.
Vancouver, Seattle and Atlanta were among the cities that impressed supporters the most with their hospitality and atmosphere. Scotland’s Tartan Army will forever enjoy a special link with the city of Boston, while the people of Algeria will never forget Lawrence, Kansas.
Verdict: Success
Quality of Soccer
In years time, when we look back, the 2026 World Cup will be remembered as a tournament where the superstars really came out to play.
Lionel Messi became the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer, before Kylian Mbappé overtook him. Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland all shone under the spotlight. The latter perhaps captured the American public more than any other player with his meme-friendly style and insatiable appetite for goals. Meanwhile, surprise heroes were forged in Vozinha, Eloy Room and more.
All three host nations made it out the groups and added to the quality and atmosphere of the tournament, even if none made the quarterfinals.
In total, 308 goals were scored across 104 matches, with an average of 2.96 per game—the highest ratio since 1970 (2.97), comfortably surpassing the average at the last tournament in Qatar 2022 (2.69).
We may not have been treated to a brilliant final, but England’s 3–2 win over Mexico and almost all of Argentina’s knockout games will go down as all-time classics.
Verdict: Success
Rule Changes
“Time for Powerade hydration break” became the least welcome sentence of the summer, as all matches featured a mandated a three-minute pause for the players to have a drink (and receive a mini team talk from the manager) in each half.
Introduced under the pretence of player welfare, the breaks were kept even for matches in climate-controlled stadiums and effectively turned soccer from a game of two halves into one of four quarters.
Echoing the sentiments of many around the globe, La Liga president Javier Tebas described the enforced breaks as “a lie”, adding: “We have them in La Liga, but only when it’s genuinely hot. Here, the pitches in Dallas, Los Angeles, Atlanta had air conditioning; I had to put on a jumper in the stands. It was a lie, a break for advertising.”
Plenty of broadcasters gleefully took up the opportunity to show more to commercials, with one even missing 10 seconds of action as a result.
UEFA, meanwhile, has promised not to enforce breaks across either the Champions League or Euro 2028, instead judging the conditions of every match and pausing only when deemed necessary.
Other rule changes for the tournament, including making players covering their mouths during confrontations a red card offense, have proved less controversial. However, as a result, we did get the bizarre—and slightly sad—moment where Messi attempted to get Marc Cucurella sent off in the World Cup final for the briefest of mouth touches.
Verdict: Failure
Controversies
In the end, pre-tournament fears about empty stadiums and extreme weather were (largely) avoided. However, other issues plagued the tournament.
Exorbitant ticket prices were a running theme, while the final’s 27-minute half-time show rankled many—as did Trump lingering on stage as Rodri and Spain lifted the World Cup trophy.
Infantino is always good for at least one tone-deaf speech and this year’s “today, I feel …” moment came on the eve of the tournament when, in response to Somali referee Omar Artan being denied entry at Miami airport, the FIFA president told reporters to “chill and relax.”
Entry issues were not limited to Artan, with Iran manager Amir Ghalenoei a vocal critic of how his team had been treated amid visa complications that hamstrung his side’s preparations.
While Ghalenoei called on FIFA to stand up to Trump, Infantino closeness to the U.S president came to the fore once again when Folarin Balogun had a one-match ban suspended so he could play in the USMNT‘s round of 16 clash against Belgium.
The Balogun debacle will enter the history books as one of the World Cup’s great controversies and further damaged the organizers’s already fragile credibility on the global stage. Regardless, Infantino also appears set to be re-elected as soccer’s top administrator next year unopposed.
Verdict: Failure
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