10 things we will remember from the 2026 World Cup beyond Ferran Torres’ goal | OneFootball

The 2026 World Cup, first with three co-hosts, will be remembered in Spain for Ferran Torres’ winner and a second star.

According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, hydration breaks became ad slots, acceptable in heat but needless under roofs. UEFA is unconvinced, and the pauses broke football’s flow.

Dynamic pricing made tickets a luxury as attendance reached 6.8 million. The final averaged 11,100 euros, 2,000 more than the 2024 Super Bowl, leaving FIFA looking greedy.

Donald Trump’s intervention saw Folarin Balogun’s red card rescinded before Belgium in the last 16. The foul merited red, the USA still exited, and UEFA deemed FIFA’s decision unprecedented and unjustifiable.

Fears of 48-team thrashings faded. Only Curaçao lost heavily, 7-1 to Germany, while Cape Verde troubled both finalists. Yet 104 matches feel excessive, and FIFA will examine a 64-team format with player welfare in mind.

The ball sensor divided opinion. It cancelled Croatia’s 2-2 against Portugal for a faint Matanovic touch unseen even in slow motion, yet missed a camera cable deflection before Jude Bellingham scored versus Norway.

Americanisation stretched timings, with over 40 minutes from warm-up end to kick-off and a half-time show near 27 minutes. Champions even received rings in private.

At 27, Kylian Mbappé reached 22 World Cup goals while, at 39, Lionel Messi’s campaign felt like a definitive international farewell.

Elsewhere, Ronaldo’s decline burdened Portugal, Germany fell early and Brazil lacked match-winners. Torres won it on 106 minutes with a left-footed strike, catharsis for a criticised forward who had sought help.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo