The 2026 World Cup has come to an end with the match between Spain and Argentina. A total of 104 matches were played in the biggest World Cup tournament ever. The competition lasted for six weeks in three countries. There were exciting matches on the field. There were some shocking results. Dramatic comebacks were also made.

Big stars with names played according to their reputation. This time the World Cup was not only positive, it was also full of controversies. Political tension was seen over Iran's participation. Hydration breaks were used, but few liked it. How will history remember this World Cup 2026 since Spain won the title? Some key features:

More teams, more drama

This time the number of participating teams had increased to 48 teams. There was a fear that there would be too many one-sided matches, but that did not happen. Teams like Cape Verde, DR Congo and Curaçao not only made history, but also won the hearts of many. Cape Verde held Spain to a draw in their first match and made it to the last 32. But Cape Verde were eliminated from the tournament only after losing to Argentina in extra time. Cape Verde goalkeeper Vojinha was the biggest breakout star. That too at the age of 40.

He suddenly gained millions of followers on social media. Congo reached the knockout stage. In the process, he made it difficult for England. Curaçao also had a chance to enter the second round until the last minute. FIFA gave a chance to the new team and they proved that this decision was right. But in the end, the four teams that were in the top four in the rankings reached the semi-finals. They were Argentina, Spain, France and England respectively. All four teams are also former winners. The Golden Boot award made the entire World Cup exciting with big names. Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembele, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham were in the running to win this award till the end. Mbappe finally won the award. The French star scored a total of 10 goals in this World Cup. In doing so, he became the highest scorer in World Cup history. His total number of goals in the World Cup has reached 22. Messi, on the other hand, stopped at 8 goals. His total number of goals in the World Cup was 21. Cristiano Ronaldo said this World Cup was his last, but he could not take the team much further. For Spain, teenager Lamine Yamal performed well, even when he was injured.

New technology, complaints still

VAR, or Video Assistant Referee. The same technology has been at the center of controversy at this World Cup, having overturned certain goals by Germany, Croatia and Egypt. Egypt coach Hossam Hassan even made some serious accusations when Argentina finally won after trailing by two goals against Egypt. Hassan used to say, “We were unfairly treated.”

The high-tech ball, equipped with sensors, also did Croatia an injustice when Jasko Guardiola’s goal was disallowed in the last 32. However, the ball barely touched Igor Mantinov and went off the post. After the game, Croatian coach Zlatko Dalic resigned and said, "Whatever decisions have been made, they have been taken just for fun."

Tickets are expensive, spectators are the same

The ticket prices for this World Cup were extremely high, but there was no shortage of spectators. FIFA had adopted an automatic pricing process. In the process, FIFA was even accused of robbing the general audience. Tickets for the league stage games alone ranged from $140 to $2,735. Tickets for the finals even went up to $8,680 and continued to rise.

Compared to the last World Cup in Qatar, ticket prices had skyrocketed. Despite all the criticism of FIFA, spectators still flocked to the stadiums to watch the games. There was no shortage of spectators even in games that did not feature star players. There were also some empty seats in the match between South Korea and the Czech Republic. Otherwise, everyone seemed happy with the American hospitality.

‘Hydration break’ was not liked

FIFA also implemented a new rule in this World Cup. That was, hydration break. A three-minute break between each half. Many did not like it. Some old players also opposed it as much as they could. Regarding this rule, a former Irish player said on the Overlap podcast, ‘We are in America, that is why the timeout rule was implemented.’

The reason why this rule was implemented was so that it would benefit the players, to avoid the scorching heat. But this rule was implemented even in cold weather. Some coaches took advantage of this rule to instruct their players. The broadcaster also used it as a time to play additional advertisements. The future of this rule is uncertain.

Iran's participation in the midst of war

The conflict between football and politics in the World Cup is not new. The biggest political issue this time was Iran's participation. There was uncertainty about Iran's participation due to the war raging in the Middle East. However, Iran played in the World Cup. In the meantime, Iran had moved its center from Arizona to Mexico.

Before Iran reached the United States, there was a visa problem, and the United States refused to grant visas to certain members of the team. Iran also claimed that its trip was hindered in many ways. Iran had to leave the United States almost immediately after each match. Iran did not advance beyond the group stage, and US national security official Mark Wayne Mullen expressed satisfaction over this.

Questions over Trump's role

The Donald Trump administration has banned football fans from some countries from entering the US, but has not deported migrants during the World Cup. Otherwise, human rights activists feared, a large number of migrants would be deported, right during the World Cup itself. Trump did not watch any of the matches live except for the final, but his relationship with FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been in the news.

US player Florian Bolognese was serving a one-match ban for a red card before the last-16 match against Belgium. Trump asked Infantino to lift the ban on this issue, and FIFA did the same. It was seen as political interference, but it did not benefit the US. The team lost to Belgium.