Yes, the prices are outrageous. Yes, the hydration breaks feel like commercial breaks with a whistle. Yes, FIFA has once again found a way to take something sacred and squeeze every last dollar out of it until the whole thing starts to feel like a global sporting event sponsored by a credit card, a crypto exchange and a sports drink no one actually likes.
And yet, here we are.
The football has been sensational.
For all the justified noise around ticket prices, travel costs, stadium logistics and the bloated nature of the expanded tournament, this World Cup has delivered where it matters most. On the pitch. The games have had pace, chaos, quality, jeopardy and joy. The stars have shown up. The underdogs have refused to read the script. The supposed cannon fodder have come to play, not simply to survive.
Cabo Verde taking points off Spain. DR Congo standing toe to toe with Portugal. Smaller nations punching above their weight and reminding everyone why the World Cup matters in the first place. This is not just a tournament for the giants. It is a stage for the countries who rarely get one, a month where the football world gets bigger, louder, stranger and more beautiful.
That was always the promise of expansion, even if many of us were cynical about it. More teams, more games, more chances for FIFA to sell everything that is not nailed down. But the expanded format has done something unexpected. It has added texture. It has given us new stories, new heroes and new nights where the global football map suddenly feels less fixed than we thought.
And credit where it is due, the three host countries have embraced the moment. The United States, Mexico and Canada have welcomed the world with open arms. The stadiums are loud. The cities are alive. The traveling fans have turned streets, bars, plazas and subway stations into rolling festivals of color and noise. For all the corporate nonsense around the edges, the soul of the tournament still belongs to the supporters.
That is what makes the World Cup different.
Club football is tribal. The Champions League is elite. The Premier League is relentless. But the World Cup is something else entirely. It is flags in windows, strangers hugging in airports, families watching across generations, and countries stopping dead for ninety minutes because, for once, everyone is looking in the same direction.
That does not happen often anymore.
So yes, complain about the prices. Roll your eyes at the breaks. Curse FIFA, because most of the time they deserve it. But do not miss the magic while it is happening.
This moment only comes around once. Then it disappears, and we spend four long years waiting for it to come back.
Relish it. Savor it. Soak it in.
The World Cup is here, and long may it reign.
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