{"id":6402,"date":"2026-07-19T08:07:41","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T08:07:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=6402"},"modified":"2026-07-19T08:07:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T08:07:41","slug":"the-biggest-takeaways-from-the-2026-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=6402","title":{"rendered":"The biggest takeaways from the 2026 World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"
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ATLANTA (AP) \u2014 The World Cup final between Spain and defending champion Argentina marks the end of the biggest tournament in the competition\u2019s history. At the final whistle in New Jersey on Sunday, a record 104 games will have been played across almost six weeks and three countries.<\/p>\n

Read more Trump celebrates the World Cup as a US victory as he prepares to present trophy to the winning team<\/a><\/p>\n

The supersized tournament delivered thrilling action on the field, with upsets, dramatic comebacks, spectacular goals and standout performances by the biggest stars of the game.<\/p>\n

It also generated controversy, from political tensions surrounding Iran\u2019s participation to criticism against innovations such as hydration breaks, which were unpopular among many fans.<\/p>\n

Here are some key takeaways from the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.<\/p>\n

More teams, more drama <\/h3>\n

A newly expanded 48-team format raised concerns about lopsided matches and a lack of jeopardy in the group stage.<\/p>\n

Tell that to Cape Verde, Congo and even Cura\u00e7ao, which all made history and won new fans.<\/p>\n

Cape Verde held Spain to a draw in its opening game, advanced to the round of 32 and gave Argentina a scare before eventually losing 3-2 in extra time in a World Cup classic. Cape Verde\u2019s goalkeeper Vozinha became a breakout star at the age of 40, gaining millions of followers on social media. <\/p>\n

Congo also advanced beyond the group stage and pushed England before eventually losing, while Cura\u00e7ao was still in with a chance of making the knockouts going into its final group match.<\/p>\n

FIFA opened its door to more teams and they proved they could compete on soccer\u2019s biggest stage. Nonetheless, it was top-ranked nations Argentina, Spain, France and England \u2014 all former champions \u2014 that made it to the final four.<\/p>\n

The big stars delivered<\/h3>\n

The race for the golden boot became a who\u2019s who of the world\u2019s top players with Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbapp\u00e9, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham firing on all cylinders.<\/p>\n

Mbapp\u00e9 led the way ahead of Sunday\u2019s final with 10 goals in the tournament and a record 22 career World Cup goals. Messi had eight at this World Cup and 21 in total with one game to go. <\/p>\n

Cristiano Ronaldo couldn\u2019t lead Portugal to success in what he said was his last World Cup, while Spain\u2019s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal \u2014 the star of the Euros two years ago \u2014 had to work his way into the tournament after overcoming injury.<\/p>\n

Big tech, big complaints<\/h3>\n

Video reviews known as VAR were at the center of a number of contentious decisions, ruling out huge goals for Germany, Croatia and Egypt.<\/p>\n

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan launched a furious tirade after Argentina staged a spectacular comeback from 2-0 down to win 3-2 in the round of 16.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have suffered injustice,\u201d he said after Egypt had a goal overturned when the score was still 1-0. <\/p>\n

Fitted with sensors, the high-tech ball in use at the tournament cost Croatia a dramatic late equalizer against Portugal in the round of 32 when it detected the slightest of touches from Igor Mantanovic and ruled Josko Gvardiol\u2019s goal offside.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll these decisions take the joy out of football,\u201d said Croatia coach Zlatko Dali\u0107, who has since stepped down.<\/p>\n

Exorbitant ticket prices, but fans still turned up<\/h3>\n

There were concerns going into the tournament that FIFA\u2019s introduction of dynamic pricing would make game tickets unaffordable for average fans. Some critics accused FIFA of a \u201cmonumental betrayal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more US strikes Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guard over attack that killed troops in Jordan<\/a><\/p>\n

Official ticket prices on general sale ranged from $140 to $2,735 for group stage matches and up to $8,680 for the final, far beyond the prices at the previous World Cup in Qatar in 2022. After criticism FIFA said it would offer a selection of $60 tickets for every game to the 48 national federations participating. <\/p>\n

FIFA\u2019s resale market place allowed sellers to list tickets for massively more than face value, including ones for the final for just under $2.3 million. FIFA didn\u2019t control resale pricing, but took a cut from sales.<\/p>\n

For all the criticism, fans still turned up in big numbers, even for games that didn\u2019t feature marquee teams or players.<\/p>\n

After a shaky start when there were empty seats for the game between South Korea and the Czech Republic in Guadalajara, stadium after stadium reported full houses. <\/p>\n

Many foreign visitors were impressed by the hospitality they experienced in the U.S.<\/p>\n

Hydration breaks a turnoff<\/h3>\n

FIFA\u2019s new hydration breaks midway through each half \u2014 a novelty for this World Cup \u2014 prompted loud jeers from fans inside the stadium, while former players were also critical.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re in America, right? So, it\u2019s like it is a timeout,\u201d former Ireland international Roy Keane said on The Overlap podcast.<\/p>\n

The breaks were introduced to help players deal with the summer heat, but FIFA stipulated they would occur regardless of the weather, venue or location.<\/p>\n

Coaches used them like timeouts to pass on in-game tactical instructions. Broadcasters, meanwhile, used them as an opportunity to take commercial breaks.<\/p>\n

It is unclear whether FIFA will implement hydration breaks at future World Cups, but the English Football Association said they were unlikely to be in place for the 2028 European Championship, co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.<\/p>\n

Iran participated despite the war<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s not unusual for politics and sport to intertwine at the World Cup. This time the biggest political tensions surrounded the national team of Iran.<\/p>\n

The war in the Middle East raised doubts about whether the Iranian team would show up at all. It did, but only after moving its base camp from Arizona to Mexico. <\/p>\n

Its participation was overshadowed by visa issues, with the U.S. refusing visas to several members of Iran\u2019s delegation. The Iranians also complained about travel restrictions, including having to leave the U.S. immediately after each match.<\/p>\n

When Iran was eliminated at the group stage, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin made his feelings clear. \u201cI\u2019m just glad they\u2019re done and they\u2019re not coming back,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s role in focus<\/h3>\n

While the Trump administration\u2019s travel restrictions on a series of countries prevented some fans from traveling to the U.S., there were no reports of the aggressive immigration enforcement that some human rights groups had feared could take place around World Cup stadiums.<\/p>\n

Besides the final, Trump didn\u2019t attend any World Cup games. However, his relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino came into sharp focus when U.S. striker Folarin Balogun\u2019s one game ban for a red card was suspended ahead of the team\u2019s round of 16 game against Belgium.<\/p>\n

Trump said he had called Infantino to ask for the decision to be reviewed before FIFA made Balogun eligible to play. FIFA insisted its disciplinary bodies acted independently, but the incident raised question about political interference.<\/p>\n

Read more A centuries-old festival in Japan brings Shinto traditions and towering floats to the streets<\/a><\/p>\n

Ultimately, the decision didn\u2019t help the U.S. as it lost 4-1 to Belgium.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

James Robson is at https:\/\/x.com\/jamesalanrobson<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

\n See more of AP\u2019s World Cup coverage here\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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