The 2026 World Cup offered much more than the field. Four hours after the final whistle, Spanish players began to exit MetLife Stadium. For them, at this moment they were experiencing the most rare and precious feeling that football has to offer: the joy of becoming world champions. Nico Williams was celebrating this moment by constantly calling his teammates “world champion, world champion”. Lamine Yamal broke a dance and pointed to their second star. This deep feeling showed what football really meant, but Fifa and other elements sought to use it in other ways.

The controversial nature of the tournament, combined with many elements such as Spanish players mocking Trump's dance, has complicated the spirit of the 2026 World Cup. As a result, the nature of this tournament has made what was once an inherently consistent organization difficult. Even though the finale produced the right outcome, it resulted in a result that no one wanted. While Spain once again reminded us what football means, Argentina could not succeed in the final, being overly dependent on its biggest star.

In a tournament with three-quarters of the teams eliminated, many of the best moments came when it mattered least. This made the 2026 World Cup a fun yet unforgettable experience. While Fifa attempted to turn this organization into an entertainment event, it was not possible to reach the true heights of the competition. Spain's impressive victory against France, England's disappointment against Argentina and Argentina's comeback against Egypt stood out as the important moments of the tournament.

However, the general atmosphere of the tournament was not satisfactory enough for the viewers. The tournament, which expanded with the participation of 48 teams, did not experience any problems in terms of quality. However, this situation also brought about rumors that Fifa would like to add more teams. Changing the tournament's starting order affected the intensity of the competition. Most teams were unable to sustain their ideas and there was a widespread view among elite club coaches that the tournament was tactically uninteresting.The surprises in the group stage attracted attention with the elimination of giants such as Germany and Brazil. However, this does not seem to matter much anymore. The rich western European countries again maintained their strongest positions at the end of the tournament. This depth was important in such a big tournament. The fan experience was similarly rife with excessive costs. Since the main host country, the United States, was shaped by the automobile industry, it was interesting that people from all over the world were left without a car. Walkable cities like Atlanta demonstrate this situation.

However, despite all these negativities, the warm and hospitable attitudes of the host countries contained many moments that represented the spirit of the tournament. Yet, in the tournament's climactic moments, situations such as the US airstrikes on Iran constituted one of the most embarrassing aspects of this World Cup.