Highlight: England were far from the best or most aesthetically pleasing team to watch. But every game, including the group-stage fixtures, felt operatic. Whereas the actual best team, Spain, made it look so easy and appeared to progress to the final without much fuss, the Three Lions were the epitome of chaos. Every single match was packed with drama, controversy and talking points, as they fortuitously found themselves mere minutes from reaching the final before Argentina’s stunning late comeback.
Lowlight: The disgraceful treatment of the Iran team exposed everything wrong with the US hosting this World Cup. It felt genuinely unprecedented, and Fifa’s refusal to take action was another example of this supposedly politically neutral organisation’s complicity with Donald Trump and co.
2. Player of the tournament?
It has to be Lionel Messi. He is, by some distance, the best footballer I’ve ever seen. He is also, by some distance, the best 39-year-old footballer I’ve ever seen. Rodri and Kylian Mbappe, the crucial figures for Spain and France, deserve honourable mentions.
3. Biggest disappointment?
The format. 48 teams does not work. It made the group stages feel like a non-event. There was so little tension compared to the last World Cup, when Belgium and Germany were among the countries to fall at the first hurdle. Prioritising head-to-head records over goal difference was another factor that diminished excitement levels. 32 participants felt like the ideal scenario, but I’d rather 64 over 48 to avoid an unnecessarily convoluted process meaning eight out of 12 third-place finishers advance.
4. Favourite pundit?
Richie Sadlier. He is always interesting to listen to, and I find myself agreeing more often than not (invariably not the case with other pundits).
Messi’s equaliser against Egypt. You could argue there were more aesthetically pleasing goals. But when you consider the pressure, the stakes, the full context, and the underappreciated degree of difficulty and technique required not to balloon the chance over the bar, it was special. For it to be the best player in history amid what was a strong contender for match of the tournament was a bonus.
6. Describe this World Cup in one sentence.
Consistently brilliant entertainment on the pitch, countless issues off it.
Gavan Casey
1. Highlight and lowlight of the tournament?
Highlight: Lionel Messi’s equalising goal against Egypt. As a 33-year-old who has marvelled at him for 20-plus years, there is a self-indulgent profundity to Messi’s impending end; his career is one of the last active connections to carefree innocence, and I fear no footballer will ever again make me feel the things he does. As such, each Messi salvage job during the knockout stages of this World Cup has extended my youth by three to four days. His equaliser against Egypt — a split-second, technically perfect, f***-it finish that only he could produce — provoked from me an involuntary response during which I ran out of a bar in Barcelona and onto the street with a handful of Argentinian friends and acquaintances, all of our heads in orbit. Dozens more people spilt out of separate buildings to either side of us. It will remain one of my favourite footballing memories for as long as I live.
Lowlight: From full-time this Sunday, I will be old.
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2. Player of the tournament?
In reality, it’s Messi again. But Rodri, appearing back to his Ballon d’Or-winning best, has been the outstanding contributor to Spain’s run to the final. An honourable mention, too, for Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes, whose performances have belied his low-profile career in Europe — relative to the aforementioned, at least — before he returned home to Boca Juniors last year.
3. Biggest disappointment?
I lazily assumed that Carlo Ancelotti would get a tune out of a distinctly average Brazil team, but they stank the gaff out for the most part. By extension, Vinicius Junior has dropped slightly in my estimation from the very elite tier of current players to merely the ‘very good’ tier, at least for the time being.
4. Favourite pundit?
I haven’t seen a great deal of English-language punditry this summer, but Wayne Rooney, who has developed into an excellent TV analyst, strikes the perfect balance between frankness and fairness. I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed the odd clip of Thierry Henry on FOX in the States: his analysis of his former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi, and why you should under no circumstances provoke him, continues to prove prescient.
Sidny Lopes’ equaliser for Cape Verde against Argentina in the Round of 32.
6. Describe this World Cup in one sentence.
Despite the naked rapaciousness of the game’s world governing body and, y’know, the Americans, it’s actually been a blast.
Ciarán Kennedy
1. Highlight and lowlight of the tournament?
On the pitch, the highlight was Pico and Cape Verde – what a ride. Off the pitch, it’s all the daft decisions a World Cup encourages, like setting an alarm to watch Mexico v England at 2 am on a Sunday, or Messi v Egypt feeling like a solid reason to gather your mates on a Wednesday (we were right).
Lowlight, take your pick. The football has been brilliant, but so much of the rest has been an ugly mess. The visa issues. The whole Balogun fiasco. Gianni. The increasing commercialisation and pursuit of every last dollar, from the ticketing to Powerade Hydration Breaks to an extended break for a World Cup final half-time show.
Oh, and my Curaçao away shirt only arriving after they’d been eliminated, without them ever wearing the fecking thing.
2. Player of the tournament?
I thought we’d be talking about Michael Olise now, but Messi is still the one providing the big moments. Even if Spain win on Sunday, I’ll be remembering this as another Messi World Cup. As the years pass, you think you’ll get too old to get emotionally invested in footballers, but I just bloody love him. Vamos.
3. Biggest disappointment?
Other than getting Ivory Coast in the work sweepstake, it’s France in their semi-final. They won the first World Cup I remember, so I’ve always had a soft spot for Les Bleus. They’d been fantastic to watch, and going out in the manner they did was just so underwhelming. I’ll take headbutts to the chest or bus sit-in protests any day over whatever the hell that was.
4. Favourite pundit?
There are very few I make a point of tuning in for. In the England fallout, I enjoyed Wayne Rooney and Joe Cole.
There are a few contenders, with Mbappé’s beautiful curler against Morocco and Ismaila Sarr’s chest and strike against Belgium standouts, but I just loved Messi’s touch and finish against Cape Verde. And there’s a fair argument that it wasn’t even the best goal in that game.
6. Describe this World Cup in one sentence.
Men in suits bad, men in boots good.
Ronan Early
1. Highlight and lowlight of the tournament?
I found France’s football against Norway exhilarating. When you have that blend of technical skills, willingness to pass forward and speed in every direction, it’s intoxicating. Pity they couldn’t bring that style and energy against Spain. The quality of opposition had a lot to do with that, I guess.
2. Player of the tournament?
Loved watching Michael Olise for much of it, and Rodri has reasserted his status as the game’s masterful sitting midfielder. But you couldn’t look past Messi. Along with all of his technical attributes and defiance of time, he knows how to meet the moment with what is required. An incredible character.
3. Biggest disappointment?
England’s stodgy, guileless football. They are capable of far better.
4. Favourite pundit?
I might be in a minority here, but I have enjoyed Kenny Cunningham. The Messi stuff was funny, but importantly I don’t think he was saying it for the reaction – he believes in it genuinely. Keep this man.
5. Best goal?
Argentina's Lionel Messi is thrown in the air by his teammates. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Messi’s effort against Egypt for the cometh-the-hour nature to it. Also, it just looked cool, the way it crashed in off the crossbar.
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6. Describe this World Cup in one sentence.
Another morally corrupt and hugely enjoyable tournament.
David Sneyd
1. Highlight and lowlight of the tournament
Witnessing Pico Lopes’ adventure with Cape Verde up close was special and to spend time with him and his family during the tournament was a privilege. His story travelled around the world and so did his qualities as a player and person. The embrace between him and Ray Houghton in the tunnel area of Atlanta Stadium after the 0-0 draw with Spain was poignant.
From the treatment of Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry to the United States, to the obstacles faced by Iran and then the Balogun Affair, Fifa made sure to leave their mark. To hear stories from fans of what they spent to attend games was also galling.
2. Player of the tournament?
The final will, of course, define things but Lionel Messi’s impact has been profound. His goal against Cape Verde in Miami would be a seminal moment in every other player’s career, for him it was just another Friday. The emotion surrounding him – from teammates and supporters – would be overwhelming for so many but he revels in it. He is a genius and a leader, the spirit of Argentina and an inspiration to anyone who loves football. Erling Haaland also found a way into a lot more people’s hearts as we got a sense of his personality and also watched the pride he has representing Norway.
France’s performance in the semi-final. They didn’t turn up. Spain were a cut above and their all-round performance was stunning. There have been so many memorable moments and thrilling games so maybe it’s being greedy to ask for more. But leaving the stadium in Dallas it felt like we missed out on a true classic. It was a joy to experience some of France’s football up close earlier in the competition.
4. Favourite pundit?
Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic dominated the coverage over here. You’d feel sorry for Alexi Lalas with how they treated him at times, but then he would open his mouth and all sympathy would be lost.
5. Best goal?
Sidny Lopes Cabral’s strike for Cape Verde against Argentina, and the emotion that flowed afterwards, is a moment I will never forget while the scenes in the aftermath of Lautaro Martinez’s winner against England were wild.
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Biggest disappointment? Best goal? Our writers review the 2026 World Cup
Paul Fennessy
1. Highlight and lowlight of the tournament?
Highlight: England were far from the best or most aesthetically pleasing team to watch. But every game, including the group-stage fixtures, felt operatic. Whereas the actual best team, Spain, made it look so easy and appeared to progress to the final without much fuss, the Three Lions were the epitome of chaos. Every single match was packed with drama, controversy and talking points, as they fortuitously found themselves mere minutes from reaching the final before Argentina’s stunning late comeback.
Lowlight: The disgraceful treatment of the Iran team exposed everything wrong with the US hosting this World Cup. It felt genuinely unprecedented, and Fifa’s refusal to take action was another example of this supposedly politically neutral organisation’s complicity with Donald Trump and co.
2. Player of the tournament?
It has to be Lionel Messi. He is, by some distance, the best footballer I’ve ever seen. He is also, by some distance, the best 39-year-old footballer I’ve ever seen. Rodri and Kylian Mbappe, the crucial figures for Spain and France, deserve honourable mentions.
3. Biggest disappointment?
The format. 48 teams does not work. It made the group stages feel like a non-event. There was so little tension compared to the last World Cup, when Belgium and Germany were among the countries to fall at the first hurdle. Prioritising head-to-head records over goal difference was another factor that diminished excitement levels. 32 participants felt like the ideal scenario, but I’d rather 64 over 48 to avoid an unnecessarily convoluted process meaning eight out of 12 third-place finishers advance.
4. Favourite pundit?
Richie Sadlier. He is always interesting to listen to, and I find myself agreeing more often than not (invariably not the case with other pundits).
5. Best goal?
Messi’s equaliser against Egypt. You could argue there were more aesthetically pleasing goals. But when you consider the pressure, the stakes, the full context, and the underappreciated degree of difficulty and technique required not to balloon the chance over the bar, it was special. For it to be the best player in history amid what was a strong contender for match of the tournament was a bonus.
6. Describe this World Cup in one sentence.
Consistently brilliant entertainment on the pitch, countless issues off it.
Gavan Casey
1. Highlight and lowlight of the tournament?
Highlight: Lionel Messi’s equalising goal against Egypt. As a 33-year-old who has marvelled at him for 20-plus years, there is a self-indulgent profundity to Messi’s impending end; his career is one of the last active connections to carefree innocence, and I fear no footballer will ever again make me feel the things he does. As such, each Messi salvage job during the knockout stages of this World Cup has extended my youth by three to four days. His equaliser against Egypt — a split-second, technically perfect, f***-it finish that only he could produce — provoked from me an involuntary response during which I ran out of a bar in Barcelona and onto the street with a handful of Argentinian friends and acquaintances, all of our heads in orbit. Dozens more people spilt out of separate buildings to either side of us. It will remain one of my favourite footballing memories for as long as I live.
Lowlight: From full-time this Sunday, I will be old.
2. Player of the tournament?
In reality, it’s Messi again. But Rodri, appearing back to his Ballon d’Or-winning best, has been the outstanding contributor to Spain’s run to the final. An honourable mention, too, for Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes, whose performances have belied his low-profile career in Europe — relative to the aforementioned, at least — before he returned home to Boca Juniors last year.
3. Biggest disappointment?
I lazily assumed that Carlo Ancelotti would get a tune out of a distinctly average Brazil team, but they stank the gaff out for the most part. By extension, Vinicius Junior has dropped slightly in my estimation from the very elite tier of current players to merely the ‘very good’ tier, at least for the time being.
4. Favourite pundit?
I haven’t seen a great deal of English-language punditry this summer, but Wayne Rooney, who has developed into an excellent TV analyst, strikes the perfect balance between frankness and fairness. I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed the odd clip of Thierry Henry on FOX in the States: his analysis of his former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi, and why you should under no circumstances provoke him, continues to prove prescient.
5. Best goal?
Sidny Lopes’ equaliser for Cape Verde against Argentina in the Round of 32.
6. Describe this World Cup in one sentence.
Despite the naked rapaciousness of the game’s world governing body and, y’know, the Americans, it’s actually been a blast.
Ciarán Kennedy
1. Highlight and lowlight of the tournament?
On the pitch, the highlight was Pico and Cape Verde – what a ride. Off the pitch, it’s all the daft decisions a World Cup encourages, like setting an alarm to watch Mexico v England at 2 am on a Sunday, or Messi v Egypt feeling like a solid reason to gather your mates on a Wednesday (we were right).
Lowlight, take your pick. The football has been brilliant, but so much of the rest has been an ugly mess. The visa issues. The whole Balogun fiasco. Gianni. The increasing commercialisation and pursuit of every last dollar, from the ticketing to Powerade Hydration Breaks to an extended break for a World Cup final half-time show.
Oh, and my Curaçao away shirt only arriving after they’d been eliminated, without them ever wearing the fecking thing.
2. Player of the tournament?
I thought we’d be talking about Michael Olise now, but Messi is still the one providing the big moments. Even if Spain win on Sunday, I’ll be remembering this as another Messi World Cup. As the years pass, you think you’ll get too old to get emotionally invested in footballers, but I just bloody love him. Vamos.
3. Biggest disappointment?
Other than getting Ivory Coast in the work sweepstake, it’s France in their semi-final. They won the first World Cup I remember, so I’ve always had a soft spot for Les Bleus. They’d been fantastic to watch, and going out in the manner they did was just so underwhelming. I’ll take headbutts to the chest or bus sit-in protests any day over whatever the hell that was.
4. Favourite pundit?
There are very few I make a point of tuning in for. In the England fallout, I enjoyed Wayne Rooney and Joe Cole.
5. Best goal?
There are a few contenders, with Mbappé’s beautiful curler against Morocco and Ismaila Sarr’s chest and strike against Belgium standouts, but I just loved Messi’s touch and finish against Cape Verde. And there’s a fair argument that it wasn’t even the best goal in that game.
6. Describe this World Cup in one sentence.
Men in suits bad, men in boots good.
Ronan Early
1. Highlight and lowlight of the tournament?
I found France’s football against Norway exhilarating. When you have that blend of technical skills, willingness to pass forward and speed in every direction, it’s intoxicating. Pity they couldn’t bring that style and energy against Spain. The quality of opposition had a lot to do with that, I guess.
2. Player of the tournament?
Loved watching Michael Olise for much of it, and Rodri has reasserted his status as the game’s masterful sitting midfielder. But you couldn’t look past Messi. Along with all of his technical attributes and defiance of time, he knows how to meet the moment with what is required. An incredible character.
3. Biggest disappointment?
England’s stodgy, guileless football. They are capable of far better.
4. Favourite pundit?
I might be in a minority here, but I have enjoyed Kenny Cunningham. The Messi stuff was funny, but importantly I don’t think he was saying it for the reaction – he believes in it genuinely. Keep this man.
5. Best goal?
Messi’s effort against Egypt for the cometh-the-hour nature to it. Also, it just looked cool, the way it crashed in off the crossbar.
6. Describe this World Cup in one sentence.
Another morally corrupt and hugely enjoyable tournament.
David Sneyd
1. Highlight and lowlight of the tournament
Witnessing Pico Lopes’ adventure with Cape Verde up close was special and to spend time with him and his family during the tournament was a privilege. His story travelled around the world and so did his qualities as a player and person. The embrace between him and Ray Houghton in the tunnel area of Atlanta Stadium after the 0-0 draw with Spain was poignant.
From the treatment of Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry to the United States, to the obstacles faced by Iran and then the Balogun Affair, Fifa made sure to leave their mark. To hear stories from fans of what they spent to attend games was also galling.
2. Player of the tournament?
The final will, of course, define things but Lionel Messi’s impact has been profound. His goal against Cape Verde in Miami would be a seminal moment in every other player’s career, for him it was just another Friday. The emotion surrounding him – from teammates and supporters – would be overwhelming for so many but he revels in it. He is a genius and a leader, the spirit of Argentina and an inspiration to anyone who loves football. Erling Haaland also found a way into a lot more people’s hearts as we got a sense of his personality and also watched the pride he has representing Norway.
3. Biggest disappointment?
France’s performance in the semi-final. They didn’t turn up. Spain were a cut above and their all-round performance was stunning. There have been so many memorable moments and thrilling games so maybe it’s being greedy to ask for more. But leaving the stadium in Dallas it felt like we missed out on a true classic. It was a joy to experience some of France’s football up close earlier in the competition.
4. Favourite pundit?
Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic dominated the coverage over here. You’d feel sorry for Alexi Lalas with how they treated him at times, but then he would open his mouth and all sympathy would be lost.
5. Best goal?
Sidny Lopes Cabral’s strike for Cape Verde against Argentina, and the emotion that flowed afterwards, is a moment I will never forget while the scenes in the aftermath of Lautaro Martinez’s winner against England were wild.
6. Describe this World Cup in one sentence.
A strange kind of glory.
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2026 world cup best goal Biggest disappointment Lionel Messi Looking Back Soccer