The 2026 FIFA World Cup

[VinnyVideo]

I was glad to see Spain win the championship (and not just to make my admittedly less-than-bold pre-tournament prediction come true!). Spain was the steadiest team throughout the tournament, while Argentina sometimes got distracted by playing footbrawl, especially in the final. Argentina wasn't able to muster a shot until extra time, which wasn't pretty to see. While Messi is still an amazing player, Argentina got a little too dependent on him.

The World Cup brought its share of controversies, but I feel like the whole thing was fairly successful, all things considered. Coming in, I was afraid that this World Cup was going to turn into a massive dumpster fire! It would've been fun to attend an actual match, but the prices were pretty expensive, and the nearest venue was a considerable drive for me. I was able to catch most of the games (except for the ones at crazy times) on TV, though.

I still believe that 32 teams is the right number for a modern World Cup. That said, I was glad that most of the new teams didn't get blown off the field like I was afraid they might. A couple of them were unexpectedly successful, like Cape Verde. They played the two finalists, as well as Uruguay, and didn't lose a single game in regulation time. (Argentina had to go into extra time to beat them).

Course clear! You got a card.