Football Unites the World! According to the FIFA slogan worn on every player’s jersey in every game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
It’s a fantasy, of course, to overlook many issues within the machine of FIFA, but some of the stories of joy and friendship did cross borders and connect people who might otherwise have had no reason to interact.
Having watched around 26 games of the tournament and found myself cheering as if my life depended on it for countries ranging from Australia to Morocco, England, France and my team of the tournament, Cape Verde, I certainly felt some such moments of unity.
I watched my latest favourite, Spain, claim a 1-0 victory over Argentina this morning. Four years ago, I backed Argentina, enthralled by Messi’s casual excellence and footwork.
Live games and their repeats were played in the office instead of the constantly streaming news. Kids were up at 5am, wearing blankets, to watch Australia before heading to their own Saturday-morning soccer. Conversations were had with anyone and everyone about their predictions, the games they’d seen, the players who stunned them, the heartbreaking penalty shootouts.
And beyond the sheer mastery of what was on the field came the stories and spectacles off the field.
There was the Tartan Army spreading joy through the streets of Boston, so much so that The Boston Globe dedicated a full-page ad to the Scottish fans to say thank you for turning “an ordinary June into something we’ll be talking about for years.”
There was Cape Verde’s goalkeeper Vozinha, who arrived at his first World Cup at the age of 40 as an unknown internationally, with no major club, and not able to bring his mother to watch him in the stands because he couldn’t afford her US visa. Vozinha saved seven powerful shots on target from the team that would go on to raise the cup. Vozinha then openly wept after the 90 minutes of physical and mental endurance and extraordinary athleticism.
And while there were heated moments on the field, there were moments of camaraderie and displays of cross-border friendships that were celebrated and admired.
The bond between Norway’s Erling Haaland and England’s Jude Bellingham is so special that Bellingham immediately worried for his friend on the opposing team when he delivered a ball into the net on behalf of England. Jude’s strike was instrumental in sending Haaland’s team home in the quarter-final. Later, when England succumbed to Argentina, Haaland also worried for his friend.
It’s refreshing to hear about these friendships and “bromances” of rivals, a little relief from the tension of the game which can be so brutal in how it defines heroes and villains, winners and losers.
But thick in the background of all these stories was the politics, the corruption, the little deals done, the geopolitical tensions that came into some of the off-field antics, including the poor treatment of the Iranian team.
And the stench never felt greater than today’s game, as US President Donald Trump took to the stands behind thick bulletproof glass, sitting alongside his good friend Infantino — the same friend he called a couple of weeks back to overrule the red card decision that should have seen the United States’ star striker Folarin Balogun barred from playing in the round of 16 against Belgium, which Belgium went on to dominate and win.
Trump was booed by the crowd at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey; the jeers occurred as he appeared on the screen alongside Infantino and Melania Trump – shortly after Jennifer Hudson had finished singing the national anthem. Once again. The broadcast crews cut away from the stadium close-up for an aerial shot of the venue as the noise intensified.
The crowd jeered as Trump walked onto the field for the victory presentation. Trump then had his own shot at stealing the moment.
Trump handed the trophy to Spain’s captain Rodri for the famous World Cup trophy lift. Rodri shook hands with the president, then waited for Trump to clear the stage with Infantino. But Trump did no such thing. He lingered, then walked in the opposite direction from Infantino, prompting the FIFA president to tell him how to leave.
Trump then stayed on the stage as the team lifted the trophy, and confetti was blown into his ear – something he also did during the 2025 Club World Cup Final, when he awarded the trophy to Chelsea and then stayed on with the team for the celebrations.
He’s familiar with booing, especially at New York stadiums. He was booed at the US Tennis Open and booed again in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
Anyone else would likely get the point to lay low, to let the sport and its players be the main event without distraction. But not Trump. Not where there’s attention to be gained, a chance to insert himself again in the moments that should make some of the best parts of history. He looked like an attention-seeking toddler among men, most of whom were young enough to be his grandsons.
Heroes were made at this World Cup. It wasn’t all perfect. Some of the decisions, especially from VAR, were controversial and, to many, unfair. Some players behaved poorly. But we were certainly not short of entertainment, excellence and inspiration from those on the field. We were far from short of great examples of manhood, and even Trump can’t take those away.