Looking back at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, we can all agree that the stars turned up. Oh and by 'stars' I mean the likes of Keyne Yamal (Lamine Yamal’s baby brother), Lumumba Vea (DRC’s famous superfan) and Norway’s synchronised 'Viking Row' celebrations. Don’t get me wrong, your stars definitely showed up and showed out for sure. Football fans aren’t going to forget the name Quinones, the Mexican who lit up the tournament from the first game. Nor are we going to forget the golden boot race that remained hot till the last game; 39-year-old Lionel Messi went head to head with England’s talisman Harry Kane, midfield powerhouse Jude Bellingham and France’s clinical forward Kylian Mbappe.
Spain battled their way to football’s most coveted trophy, conducting themselves in a manner that is nothing short of admirable to the next generation watching along from the stands and in their living rooms.
France vs Spain. Death by a thousand paper cuts, wasn’t it? Well, that’s how it felt for a diehard Les Bleus supporter like myself. Leading up to the game, it’s no doubt that France’s attack was the best in the tournament. ‘KyKy’ was tied as top goalscorer with Argentinian legend Messi. Olise had taken the tournament aback with his assists; PSG’s Barcola & Doué chipped in on some goals; and Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé had made his statement in the competition with an iconic hat trick against Norway. There was massive belief in France’s prowess and ability to reach the final. But who is Spain? They were the better team and dropped another fearless team display against the French, just as they did against mighty nations like Ronaldo’s Portugal and De Bruyne’s Belgium. They neutralised France’s attack all through the game. Oyarzabal gave them the lead in the first 20 minutes, following an undisputed penalty, and then Spurs’ right-back Pedro Porro sealed the deal early in the second half. In another reality, maybe it was different?
Regardless, we had 39 days of pure and raw emotion. The fans are a testament to this.
High-stakes bets were placed; a certain Canadian rapper placed a bet on the final, and let’s just say it didn’t shabang. If the world wasn’t already aware, God took his time with the Cape Verdeans; no one could keep their eyes off them. Ghana’s 'juju' man took us aback with his ritual and use of white powder, which Ghanaians believe came through in the dying minutes of the game for the Black Stars when they faced Panama. For some, the World Cup was therapy, a reason to link the boys, a reason to drink, a reason to style your favourite jersey or all the above. I can attest to this. I mean, there’s no better feeling than linking your boys for a proper hatewatch, all for the love of the game. Or turning up for a match with your girlies, having styled up your fits around your favourite jersey.
The vibes were one thing, but my goodness, the football on the pitch was hella entertaining!
The group stages were lit up by crazy goals by the French rocket Kylian Mbappe, Bafana Bafana’s Thapelo Maseko and Brazil forward Matheus Cunha. Resilience and experience were the name of the game in the knockout phases, with Spanish star Rodri in the frontline for La Roja. Then we have the final, which didn’t produce as many goals but saw a starstudded team performance as well as individual performances by the Spaniards. We saw 40-year-old ‘unc’ Vozinha hold the likes of Pedri’s Spain to a goalless draw and make 8 memorable saves for his beloved Cape Verde when they played Lionel Messi’s Argentina.
We possibly saw the end of an era, with stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr, Lionel Messi, James Rodriguez and Guillermo Ochoa not looking likely to appear in another World Cup. You’re crying, not me… But we did have a glimpse of nations that have come to rise and are likely to dominate in Portugal by 2030. Yeah, I’m talking about Odegaard’s Norway and Hakimi’s Morocco. Is Spain going back-to-back, is another powerhouse going to take it, or will we have a dark horse completely surprise us all?