The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a logistical nightmare wrapped in a PR disaster, hosted by a country actively turning away players, coaches, and fans at the border. A FIFA-licensed referee from Somalia — valid visa in hand — was denied entry for no stated reason. The cheapest ticket to England vs. Ghana in Foxboro costs $750. Miami is hosting outdoor matches in late June. And yet roughly one-third of the planet will watch the final on July 19.
That tells you everything about this tournament. It's too big to be killed by its own awfulness.
The opening match was at least spared the worst of it. Mexico vs. South Africa at the Azteca — 80,000 fans, 7,300 feet above sea level, El Tri heavily favored at home — was everything the World Cup is still capable of being when the politics step back for 90 minutes. The first few games in Mexico and Canada serve as a gentle reminder of what this tournament was theoretically supposed to represent before Gianni Infantino turned it into a branding exercise with a trophy.
A corrupt history that fans already knew about
None of the cynicism is new. Qatar 2022 was built on migrant labor under conditions resembling indentured servitude. Russia 2018 was Vladimir Putin's coming-out party on the global stage. The 1978 edition was held in Argentina while the military junta was disappearing dissidents by the thousands — sometimes literally throwing them into the ocean. Italy won the 1934 World Cup under Mussolini. The 2034 edition is booked for Saudi Arabia.
Comparing this tournament to the 1936 Berlin Olympics, as social media has been doing enthusiastically this week, lands with a thud on anyone who's followed football for more than a decade. Authoritarian sportswashing is basically the tournament's founding tradition at this point.
What cuts through all of it, every time, is the football itself. Qatar 2022 produced one of the greatest matches ever played — Argentina vs. France, 3-3 after extra time, decided on penalties, genuinely breathtaking. Russia 2018 ended with France dismantling Croatia 4-2 in style. The 1982 semifinal between France and West Germany remains a benchmark for drama that no one who saw it has ever shaken. The sport has a habit of making you forget where you are.
The US team, and the matches worth your time
The American team under Mauricio Pochettino is the most talented group the USMNT has ever assembled — and still probably a notch below genuine contention. Christian Pulisic is the name everyone knows, but his 2026 form has been underwhelming after a brilliant year at AC Milan. Folarin Balogun, who scored 18 goals for Monaco in Ligue 1 last season, might matter more. So might Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams, if they show up consistently.
On paper, wins against Paraguay and Australia should get the US through to the knockouts. Lose either and it's over fast. Reaching the quarterfinals would be a genuine achievement. Winning the tournament is not a realistic conversation.
The real title race runs through France and Spain, both loaded with elite talent at nearly every position. If neither lifts the trophy on July 19 at MetLife Stadium, it means Argentina or Brazil went on one of their periodic runs of brilliance — which is always possible and always compelling to watch.
Here are the first-round matches that are actually worth setting an alarm for:
- June 12 — Canada vs. Bosnia (Toronto): Canada play with energy and purpose under Jesse Marsch. Bosnia's biggest star, Esmir Bajraktarević, was born in Appleton, Wisconsin. The stories are good even if the football is scrappy.
- June 13 — Brazil vs. Morocco (East Rutherford): Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil against the most diaspora-heavy squad in the tournament — only seven of Morocco's 26 players were actually born there. This could be elite, or it could be a calculated 0-0. Pride usually wins.
- June 16 — France vs. Senegal (East Rutherford): At least 10 Senegalese players were born in France. Several French players have Senegalese roots. Post-colonial complexity aside, this is two top-tier sides who both love attacking football and occasionally forget to defend. Watch Mbappé closely — when he's locked in, France's odds shorten dramatically.
- June 17 — England vs. Croatia (Arlington): Croatia have a long and painful history of making better teams look ordinary. England's World Cup trauma is well-documented. This is a useful early test of whether England can actually handle pressure or just handle expectations.
- June 21 — Spain vs. Saudi Arabia (Atlanta): Saudi Arabia have pulled off genuine upsets before. Spain have Lamine Yamal, who is 18 years old and already dangerous enough to shorten any opponent's odds.
- June 24 — Scotland vs. Brazil (Miami): They are making Scottish men play competitive football outside, in Florida, in June, against Brazil. Scott McTominay's side worked hard to get here. Brazil will probably win by four. The one Scotland goal will be discussed in Glasgow pubs for decades.
- June 26 — Norway vs. France (Foxboro): If France haven't wrapped up second-round qualification already, Erling Haaland and a young, hungry Norwegian squad could make them uncomfortable. France tend to sulk when things go sideways. This is the match that could expose that.
- June 27 — Colombia vs. Portugal (Miami): The best single matchup of the first round. Cristiano Ronaldo fading but still relevant, James Rodríguez the same. Two teams that treat defense as a philosophical afterthought. In Miami heat. This one should be open and chaotic in the best possible way.
The tournament is a mess. The infrastructure is inadequate, the politics are grim, the ticket prices are designed to exclude the kind of fans who actually make football worth watching. Hydration breaks will be used to squeeze in more commercials. None of that has changed the fact that you're going to watch.
