The 2026 FIFA World Cup: Drama and Success

Get ready for more of what you disliked about this tournament.

The viewership numbers are out, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup broke records, with many people watching.

In Canada, 6.4 million people watched the final match, and in the US, 40 million people watched it in English, while 22.6 million watched it in Spanish.

All records were broken by a wide margin.

This success means more money for the tournament, with Fox making a quarter billion dollars from advertising alone.

Before the tournament, there were concerns about travel and hotel rooms, but the stadiums were full, and the TV audiences were huge.

The World Cup still brings people together, despite the problems, and that's great news.

The 2026 World Cup was both great and bad.

Enjoy the good feelings from this tournament, because the bad parts will stay.

This year, the tournament had 48 teams, and it might get even bigger in the future.

Hydration breaks are here to stay.

Consider them a permanent part of the game.

And what about presidents getting involved in the tournament?

A line has been crossed, and it sets a bad example.

Why did this happen?

The answer is money, as FIFA made $15 billion from the tournament, and media outlets spent a lot to cover it.

Some people might think that the success of the tournament is because of the bad things, but that's not entirely true.

A more realistic view is that people love the World Cup despite the problems.

FIFA got richer from this World Cup.

People watch the tournament despite the problems, not because of them.

Fans will tolerate bad things for the sake of good soccer and national pride.

The number of teams in the tournament might increase to 64, which means more tickets and more money.

An expanded field will bring more underdogs and more engagement from fans.

The tournament will look like it's progressing, even if it's just because of the bigger field.

The players will have to play more games, but the decision-makers don't care about that.

Not even Trump, who wants to bring the World Cup back to the US.

Yes, the 2030 tournament is already planned, but Trump might try to change that.

Before this year, a head of state had never called FIFA to change a decision, but Trump did it.

Is this the most controversial World Cup yet?

Is the 2026 World Cup bringing people together or using a framework that excludes real fans?

Trump's power play worked, and the match had huge viewership numbers.

I didn't watch the match, but it still had great ratings.

The main point is that drama sells, no matter where it comes from.

FIFA knew this, and they don't care why you're watching, as long as you are.

You watched this year, and you'll watch again in 2030.

The World Cup final had a great reaction, and now Canada soccer looks to the future.

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