Like it or not, the newly expanded 48-team World Cup has caused a bit of a stir in the U.S., Canada and Mexico over the past five weeks.
Ferran Torres scores the winning goal for Spain in the World Cup final
Only at a World Cup that makes them want to see more will Argentina be able to decide that they have seen enough.
That’s what happened when Lionel Scaloni’s anti-footballism tarnished an unforgettable final by the Spanish national team.
That game aside, it’s no wonder FIFA is even more popular. No wonder coach Gianni Infantino is already sketching out plans to expand the World Cup to a staggering 64-team tournament by 2030.
Visually, it’s a painful and greedy pitch. Naturally, you become suspicious and afraid. When does too much football actually become too much football? But dissect it.
Eliminate geopolitics, ignore the fact that FIFA is simply relishing the opportunity to line their pockets, and ignore the impact of increased workload on players on an already packed schedule. Below all these variables there is an answer.
To be honest, no matter how many World Cups I go to, it’s never enough. Because the World Cup always leaves you wanting more. Even when all is said and done, unpacking still leaves unanswered questions.
You’re left wondering what could have been and wishing the next four years would have gone by faster.
For the record, in these brutally hot mid-summer conditions, against the backdrop of an exhausting yet historic night in Mexico City, the humid heat of Miami and that emotional battle with Argentina, it’s hard to escape the feeling that England may have struggled to turn the dial against the obsessive control freaks of Spain.
That is, of course, apart from the point that they would have boasted a puncher’s chance of at least a one-off box-office final, had a wary and now heavily scrutinized manager Thomas Tuchel not led England into a state of depressing capitulation.
Coach Gianni Infantino is open to expanding the World Cup to 64 tournaments again in 2030 (Image: MANDEL NGAN, AFP, Getty Images)
It’s tough, but putting aside the frustration of those soul-destroying final minutes in Atlanta, it has to be said that this bloated tournament has seemingly gone better than anything we’ve ever seen, even in international soccer.
It proved that even if there was political interference, questionable red card bans were surprisingly or rightly upheld and concerns were raised about the integrity of the game, on-pitch action always trumps everything else.
It always surprises the half-time showbiz and will surely eclipse the frenzy that saw nervous La Roja coach Luis de la Fuente helicoptered into his pre-match press conference.
For example, the Caribbean island of Curaçao (156,000 inhabitants), the least populated country in the World Cup, is tied with the powerful Germany, while the weak African team Cape Verde pushes the holders Argentina to the limit of their physical strength.
Take the case of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who missed out on qualification only through the intercontinental play-offs, and with 15 minutes to go from eliminating England in their first final since Zaire’s 9-0 defeat to Yugoslavia in 1974, you realize that the script for the World Cup was never truly written.
England have just beaten the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the World Cup Round of 32 (Image: Richard Pelham, Getty Images)
The final, a clash of contrasting styles, if slightly underwhelming, epitomized this more than ever. Because 1,309 days ago, under the roof of the world’s largest tension cable net at Doha’s Lusail Stadium, Lionel Messi appeared to have finished the game in typical style after giving La Albiceleste a prestigious three-star title.
This was a crowning moment for the King of Football, so much so that he played in this competition in the midst of his 39th birthday, not to mention scoring eight goals and registering four assists on the long and winding road to the final.
Messi is an historic player and it was an honor to witness his genius firsthand once again, reminding us why the World Cup will always be the greatest show on earth.
Infantino insists this tournament was the best. Even if you happen to disagree, you can, unfortunately, insist on it. So despite all the silly side stories and distractions, it’s definitely going to go down as a major success in the end.
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