Viva España

Four years ago, I wrote a post praising the Argentine victory at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. I wrote it with a heavy heart after my Brazilian team had failed once again to reach the final.

For many Brazilians, it was a bitter pill to swallow to see the Argentines win their third World Cup. The rivalry between the two countries is fierce in almost everything, especially soccer. But I accepted the fact that they were a good team, strong and consistent, and our team was sloppy and had no pride. In the end, I was happy to see the cup coming to South America one more time.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup was jointly hosted by three countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The tournament was held across 16 cities. The hosts went above and beyond to deliver a magnificent party for fans from around the world.

Sports fans are a very peculiar bunch. Even when we know our team doesn’t stand a chance, deep down in our hearts, we hope a miracle might happen, and that lousy bunch of players will somehow come together and fight their way to glory. Yes, that is how I felt about Brazil in every World Cup since 2002, when the team won their last trophy. The Brazilian team’s performance in 2026 was even more shameful than in 2022, but this was business as usual. We have to accept it.

What actually did surprise me was the level of corruption this tournament was wrapped in.

We all know FIFA, the organization that manages soccer (or football) around the globe, operates a corrupt system, but what happened in 2026 was beyond that. It all started in December 2025 when FIFA suddenly created its own peace prize and awarded Donald Trump after the American president failed to win the “real” Nobel Peace Prize. (pictured above).

Some viewed it as a serious violation of FIFA’s mandatory political neutrality, while others saw it as a foolish stunt designed to flatter a president who behaves like an 8-year-old spoiled brat.

But the friendly relationship between the American president and the FIFA boss Gianni Infantino wouldn’t stop there.

During the game USA vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, the American striker Folarin Balogun (pictured above) received a red card, which would automatically suspend him for the next game against Belgium.

But Trump acted quickly and decisively. He called his friend Infantino and asked him to “review” the situation. A couple of hours later, the red card suspension was delayed for one year, clearing Balogun to play the next game.

This was a flagrant, in-your-face case of corruption that disgusted the entire international soccer community. The backlash was considerable; UEFA, the European soccer governing body, strongly criticized the move, saying FIFA “crossed a red line” and risked the game’s integrity. The Norwegian Football Federation announced plans to bring a formal complaint to FIFA’s Ethics Committee regarding the decision.

On July 6, 2026, the Belgium team moved into the quarterfinals after a decisive 4-1 victory over the USA, knocking the Americans out of the tournament. For many, including myself, this game was one of the highlights of the World Cup.

Folarin Balogun had little to no impact during the game, raising suspicion that his below-average performance was intentional as a form of silent protest against FIFA bending the rules.

The most corrupted World Cup ever

The 2026 World Cup was designed to make Argentina win its fourth trophy.

Since the first day of the tournament, if you looked for news about the games, you would see pictures of Leonel Messi in nine out of ten first articles. It was as if he were the only superstar of the event.

It was clear that the Argentine team this year was much weaker than the 2022 team. They only made it to the final with a lot of help from the referees. They played dirty in every single game— even slapping and punching an Egyptian player twice during the game. One of these incidents was directly in front of the linesman (picture above). This is a straightforward red card offense every day of the week. In the age of VAR, the referees saw it but chose not to act.

But one must ask: “Why Argentina?”.

Well, in my opinion, the reason was political. The Trump administration pushed nearly every country on the planet around, with a few exceptions. And yes, Argentina is one of those exceptions. The president of Argentina, Javier Milei, is a right-wing politician and a fervent Trump supporter. His country has already received generous financial support from the USA, so why not a little help to win the World Cup?

Of course, everything I am saying here is speculation. I might be wrong.

But if you watched the final game, between Spain and Argentina, you might agree with me.

The Spaniards dominated the game, playing a technical and yet beautiful football. On the other hand, the Argentines played their dirtiest game in the tournament. During the 90-minute game, they were not able to kick the ball once toward the goal. Instead, they tried to break Spain’s dominance by playing the game they knew best: punching, kicking, and grabbing opponents. Argentina racked up 24 fouls and 5 yellow cards during regular and extra time, compared to zero cards for Spain.

The Spaniards played like gentlemen, never resorting to violence, and they never lost their balance, not even when the referee disallowed not one but two Spanish goals.

But the Argentines were not done embarrassing themselves.

Immediately following the final whistle of Spain’s 1-0 victory, a mass brawl erupted. Leandro Paredes (pictured above) and other Argentine players physically attacked some Spanish substitutes, including shoving Gavi and confronting Eric García. It was a gross display of savagery, typical of street thugs, not international athletes.

But wait, there is more.

As a good gesture, showing decent sportsmanship and respect to the winners, the Argentina players, after receiving their silver medals, should have watched the Spaniards receiving their gold medal

Instead, Lionel Messi and most of the Argentina squad walked away and faced their own supporters. On top of that, Spain had earlier formed a guard of honor to applaud the Argentine players as they collected their medals, a gesture that the sore losers did not reciprocate.

And since we are talking about embarrassment, let’s not forget Donald Trump refusing to leave the stage for the official photo of the champions. Hilarious.

But beyond all the ugliness we witnessed and the damage done to sport, the 2026 World Cup provided some unforgettable moments. My second-favorite team, Canada, finished 14th, a huge improvement from 31st in 2022.

We will never forget the passionate Norwegian fans doing the “Viking Row” in support of their squad.

And we also won’t forget the beautiful football played by all the African teams, France, England, and others. In the end, the best team won the trophy fair and square. Spain scored its second World Cup; the first one was in 2010.

Football once again proved bigger than the corrupt FIFA.

The never ending amazement

As I write these final lines, a few things are still happening regarding the 2026 World Cup.

* The frustrated Argentine fans started an online petition on Change.org, asking FIFA for a rematch. They complain that the referee treated their team unfairly. They already got over 100.000 signatures. The Argentine Football Association does not support the petition.

* On the other hand, football fans from all over the globe are signing another online petition, this one demanding that Argentina’s national team be permanently banned from the World Cup. ArgentinaOut.com is now closed after gathering more than 23 million signatures.

* FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against several Argentine players and staff, including Leandro Paredes, Nahuel Molina, and assistant coach Roberto Ayala, following post-match brawls.

* The Argentine Football Association has been charged under Article 13 for displaying a “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” banner after the semi-final win against England. In reference to the 1982 Falklands war.

I don’t think Argentina will be banned for future World Cups, but it would be nice to hold some of the perpetrators accountable. Then again, I am not holding my breath.