The short answer is simple: it’s not better.
After watching all 104 matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, your football palate changes. It’s hard to enjoy the “regular” competitions the same way after experiencing the biggest tournament in the world.
This World Cup was nothing short of spectacular. For those of us in the Americas, the schedule couldn’t have been better. Some days featured as many as four matches, making it a football fan’s dream.
We witnessed goals that seemed almost impossible—like Jude Bellingham’s stunning strike against France in the third-place match.
We also experienced unforgettable underdog stories, like Cape Verde’s remarkable run. They may have fallen to Argentina, but after scoring one of the tournament’s best goals, they won the hearts of football fans everywhere.
Then there was Norway’s Viking-inspired campaign, led by Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard, a team that had half the football world celebrating every one of their victories.
Spain cemented its place among football’s elite—fittingly to the soundtrack of Aitana’s “Superestrellas”—by lifting its second World Cup trophy. Argentina, meanwhile, finished as runners-up once again, reaching three of the last four World Cup finals.
Perhaps the hardest part of the tournament coming to an end is saying goodbye to legendary names such as Luka Modrić, Cristiano Ronaldo, Edin Džeko, and perhaps even Lionel Messi, along with several other players who defined an entire generation.
Despite the criticism Gianni Infantino has faced over the years, he deserves credit for two major decisions that have reshaped international football: launching the expanded FIFA Club World Cup and increasing the number of teams competing in the World Cup. Rumors are already circulating that the next edition could expand even further, potentially featuring 64 national teams.
Now all that’s left is the four-year wait until the next World Cup, while we turn our attention back to domestic leagues and continental competitions. After all, football never truly ends—it simply evolves, for better or worse.
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