The biggest takeaways from the 2026 World Cup

Key Points:

• The 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, featured a record 104 games with an expanded 48-team format that allowed underdog teams like Cape Verde, Congo, and Curaçao to make historic advances and challenge top nations.
• Star players such as Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, and Erling Haaland delivered standout performances, with Mbappé setting a new record of 22 career World Cup goals, while some veterans like Cristiano Ronaldo saw their final World Cup campaigns end without success.
• The tournament saw controversy over technology use, including VAR decisions that overturned key goals and led to criticism from coaches and fans, as well as complaints about exorbitant ticket prices driven by FIFA’s dynamic pricing and resale market.
• New hydration breaks introduced to help players manage heat were widely unpopular with fans and former players, being seen as disruptive timeouts, and their future in major tournaments remains uncertain.
• Political tensions surrounded Iran’s participation amid Middle East conflicts and visa issues, while former U.S. President Donald Trump’s involvement raised questions of political interference after he reportedly influenced a disciplinary decision benefiting the U.S. team.