After Spain’s coolly efficient dismantling of France and Argentina’s late demolition of England, the 2026 Fifa Men’s World Cup concludes on Sunday evening in New Jersey when either Spanish captain Rodri or his Argentinian counterpart Lionel Messi lifts the game’s most coveted prize.
Fifa and its Swiss president Gianni Infantino have inflicted serious damage on the credibility of the competition, first by deferring the suspension of Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo before the finals even began, a clear bending of the rules for commercial reasons. Worse was to follow with the blatant favour shown to the host nation when the suspension of the American striker Folarin Balogun was deferred on the eve of a knockout match after an intervention by Donald Trump.
In the run-up to the tournament it seemed possible that the US president would cast an unappealing shadow over the entire event. Thankfully that has not proved to be the case. Apart from one or two unpleasant incidents, such as the treatment of the Iranian national team and the refusal of immigration officials to grant entry to a Somali referee, the White House’s current taste for xenophobia has not deterred thousands of fans from travelling from around the world to support their teams, despite eye-watering ticket prices.
Trump is due to be at the MetLife Stadium to present the trophy, but his close ally, Argentinian president Javier Milei, has refused to break his good-luck ritual of watching from the Olivos presidential residence. Superstitious fans everywhere will empathise. But Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez – no friend of the US president – will be there. The body language on display may offer a diverting sideshow to proceedings on the pitch.
RM Block
Despite the crass commercialisation, and political meddling, the finals retain the sense of magic that makes football the world’s most popular sport. From the heroics of Crumlin’s Roberto “Pico” Lopes and his Cape Verde teammates to the mesmerising skills of the ageless Messi, the World Cup still reminds us all of the childlike wonder inspired by the beautiful game.
