STORMS IN A WORLD CUP, XL EDITION

THIS is the XL World Cup, much in the image of the main co-host, the United States, where everything is supersized—from food portions to the NFL stadiums where most of the matches have been played.

- SAMINDRA KUNTI

According to Fifa president Gianni Infantino, this World Cup is bigger and better than ever. Indeed, his expansionism will allow him to channel ever-more revenue to the 211 member associations and consolidate his power.

But the first 48-team tournament—played in three countries, another first—is simply too bloated. At every match, from Mexico City to Vancouver and from San Francisco to Boston, Fifa welcomes spectators to “The greatest show on Earth”. But the progress of that show has been slow and meandering. It took 72 matches to eliminate 16 teams from the group phase.

Yet, the stage offered some dramatic moments—like when Folarin Balogun, a player of Nigerian descent, scored a brace for the US in the opening match, when Morocco’s 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi orchestrated the midfield against Brazil, and when Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembélé scored hat-tricks against Algeria and Norway.

Every World Cup stages David-and-Goliath battles, too. In 2026, Cape Verde are playing David with aplomb. Alongside Iceland and Curacao, the island nation ranks among the minnows of World Cup history. But manager Bubista, goalkeeper Vozinha and centre-back Pico have become household names, engineering Cape Verde’s progress from the group stage with three hard-fought draws, including holding mighty Spain in their opening match. However, that fairy tale has been somewhat tainted after accusations of rape against team captain Ryan Mendes.