Diego Maradona predicted this. Back in 2018, the moment the USA, Canada and Mexico were confirmed as 2026 hosts, he went on Argentine television and said: "They will divide the game into four halves instead of two to insert advertisements. Compare it, you will see." He wasn't entirely right. But he wasn't wrong either.
The 2026 World Cup is over. Argentina beat Spain in a final at MetLife Stadium where tickets on FIFA's official site were listed between $30,000 and $33,000 — and resale platforms had seats going for up to $2.3 million. That's not a commentary on demand. That's a commentary on who this tournament was actually built for.
FIFA got exactly what it wanted
The numbers are hard to argue with. FIFA will announce revenues of $15bn from this summer — against an original projection of $11bn. That's a $4bn surplus. Gianni Infantino, already on his third term, will have little difficulty securing a fourth on the back of that figure.
To get there, concessions were made. The red card reversal involving Folarin Balogun was widely criticised and raised uncomfortable questions about sporting integrity bending under commercial pressure. Three-minute hydration breaks — one per half — functioned exactly as Maradona feared: ad breaks dressed up in concern for player welfare. The World Cup final featured a half-time show that reportedly ran close to 20 minutes.
Hardcore supporters weren't happy. They rarely are. But the casual viewer tuned in, social media lit up, and the money followed.
Championship rings — previously the domain of NFL, NBA and NHL winners — were handed to the victorious squad. Engraved with player names, shirt numbers, the final scoreline and the winning nation. American sporting theatre transplanted directly into football's biggest moment.
Politics on the pitch
Then there's the part that money can't paper over so easily. Entry bans on certain foreign nationals cast a shadow over the tournament's accessibility and its stated values. Donald Trump wanted to run his World Cup his way, and FIFA, chasing that $15bn, was happy to let him. The ideal of football as a universal, equal experience took a hit.
Trump, for his part, is already eyeing 2038. "You should choose the United States of America again," he said. "This time we will leave Canada and Mexico out."
Whether football — soccer, if Infantino insists — will still resemble the game the rest of the world grew up watching by then is the only question that actually matters now.
