World Cup verdicts: Best and worst teams, favourite moments and who will win in 2030?

The World Cup may be over and our team of writers might have spent the past six weeks criss-crossing North America to report on all of its twists and turns, but we’re not done with them yet.

Before their attention turns back to domestic football — or their summer holiday destinations — we wanted to know what they made of the 2026 tournament.

Did the best team win? Which player surprised them? Which was the best host city? And who will win in four years’ time? We assembled a roster of 14 writers and asked them to deliver their verdicts.

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Did the best team win?

James Horncastle: Luis de la Fuente has never lost a game at a major tournament. He has followed up the Euros with a World Cup. It shouldn’t come as a surprise. He worked with this generation at youth level. They know each other inside out. Add Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams and adios, amigos.

Oliver Kay: Yes. Watching France and Argentina was a far more exhilarating experience… but both were outclassed when they came up against Spain, who were the outstanding team. They didn’t look like it in that opening game when they were held to a draw by Cape Verde, but they got better and better — an important reminder of the value of peaking at the right time.

Adam Crafton: Yes, one goal conceded across the piece is remarkable and a reminder (for me) that the best defences and the best midfield are often more important than the most dizzying frontline. But France were so fun until the final week!

Carl Anka: Yes, with the key word being team. Yamal was the focus of many pre-tournament predictions that tipped Spain to win it, but in the end, this was a triumph of the collective. The attack wasn’t great, but Mikel Merino was a fantastic failsafe.

Henry Bushnell: Yep. Spain was one of the most talented teams, and definitely the most organized team, the most in-sync team, and the one with the strongest football identity.

Paul Tenorio: Yes. Spain was clearly the best team. There was not much flashy about them, but the quality was always there. They controlled games no matter the opponent, played some beautiful football at times and suffocated two dangerous teams in France and Argentina.

Stu James: No doubt about it. Spain comprehensively outplayed the favourites France, and it would have been a travesty if they didn’t win the final, too. Beating Argentina’s anti-football was a victory for the sport.

Max Mathews: Absolutely. And Spain proved it by comfortably beating the second-best team, France.

Nick Miller: Yep. Everyone else had at least one game where they didn’t turn up. The closest Spain got to that was against Cape Verde, but even the most swooning sentimentalists will recognise that the minnows were pretty lucky in that one. Spain were steady, consistent and the best, if not the most interesting or exciting team.

Felipe Cardenas: Without a doubt. Argentina’s performance was not befitting of a defending champion. And yet, the South Americans nearly nicked a goal before Ferran Torres’ winner. Spain dealt with a difficult opponent and at times played some real slick football. It was a deserved win.

Seb Stafford-Bloor: Unquestionably yes. This was one of the most consistent and dominant tournament performances in World Cup history. They came through a tough part of the draw, too. Beating Portugal, Belgium, France and Argentina is a run that deserves to end with the trophy and there’s no sense of their having avoided anyone. Spain are an entirely worthy champion.

Laura Williamson: Yes, and thank goodness after that final.

Austin Green: Yes, with an emphasis on “best” and “team”. Spain did not have the most exciting team nor the most captivating individual players, but they were absolutely ruthless in midfield and did all the little things right.

Lukas Weese: Absolutely. As the tournament went on, Spain rounded into form as being one of the strongest possession teams. The last two matches were defensive masterclasses.

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Who was the best player at the tournament?

Horncastle: Lionel Messi. Again.

Kay: Messi. His impact on the final was negligible, but across the tournament he was the outstanding player. If anything, the final seemed to expose the limitations of the Argentina team he had been carrying on his shoulders. There is a strong case for Kylian Mbappe, who also excelled in all but one game (the semi-final against Spain) and for Rodri, who looked back to something like the form of his Ballon d’Or success.

Crafton: Nobody was more exciting to watch than Mbappe but nobody was more effective in the biggest games than Rodri. So I’m going with Rodri, who nullified both Michael Olise and Messi with an absurd ease. Jude Bellingham was also outstanding and I thought Martin Odegaard had a great tournament.

Green: Messi. Name another 39-year-old in the history of this sport to have an entire team built around him and make it actually work at this level.

Anka: My vote was with Olise at the quarter-final stage. Then I considered jumping on the Rodri bandwagon. But the answer is still Messi. Watching him in 2026 elicits the same feeling as watching Roger Federer in 2017, where the supposed decline remains a higher level than the peak performance of 95 per cent of players. Every now and then, he’ll fail a dribble or mishit a pass and do a little chuckle as he recognises his battle with Father Time.

James: I’ve pushed Olise’s claims but, ultimately, I can’t look beyond Messi. If one thing was missing from Olise’s game it was goals. The rest was beautiful to watch. Messi, on the other hand, delivered assists and goals, and at times was almost single-handedly winning, or rescuing, matches for Argentina. Without him, there’s no way Argentina can get to the final.

Weese: Mbappe walks away with the Golden Boot. But Messi, at 39, in his last gasp of greatness, gave sports fans everything and more.

Tenorio: I think it’s unanimous. As much as Mbappe’s quality was again on display, I think Messi’s ability to seemingly will Argentina to win games at 39 years old was such an incredible feat.

Bushnell: I’ll be a contrarian and go with Mbappe. It was him until he got shut down by Spain … which is exactly what happened to Messi five days later. Mbappe was so dynamic, so consistently a threat even when the ball was 50 yards away, and so lethal except for that one day in Dallas. (Also, honorable mentions for Rodri, who was magnificent, and Pau Cubarsi.)

Cardenas: Mbappe won the Golden Boot and set the all-time World Cup goalscoring record, dethroning Messi. The France captain was in excellent form until his mortal performance against Spain. Still, Mbappe was pure class.

Mathews: The most talented? Messi, and the heart says Messi. Even though he was anonymous in the final until the last five minutes of extra time as his well of miracles eventually ran dry. The head says Rodri, who captained his country brilliantly and showed why he is a Ballon d’Or winner. Untouchable at points.

Miller: It’s Messi, even if he was heartbreakingly anonymous in the final. Other special mentions to Rodri, Mbappe, Cubarsi, Bellingham and Azzedine Ounahi.

Williamson: Messi. There was a point in the final in which he got the ball, pirouetted and suddenly had about two metres of space around him, prompting gasps from people around me. Still a remarkable player.

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What was your favourite game?

Stafford-Bloor: Mexico 2-3 England. That was great theatre. Between the altitude trepidation, the storm causing a kick-off delay and the melodrama of the game itself, it was everything that a World Cup match should be, contested within one of the world’s most atmospheric arenas. A magical few hours.

Bushnell: Algeria 3-3 Austria. It began with presumptions of a fix because both teams could advance to the knockouts with a draw. Then, somehow, a great soccer game broke out. Then, at 2-2 in the 75th minute, both teams settled in for a draw after all. And then, in the 93rd minute, after 100 consecutive (and non-threatening) passes, after more than five minutes of time-sapping possession, Algeria suddenly broke forward and scored! Iran, the last third-place team on the bubble, watching on TV in Tijuana, needing one team to win, celebrated … only for Austria’s Sasa Kalajdzic, with the second-to-last touch of the game, to equalize in the sixth of four added minutes — which sent both teams through and eliminated Iran.

Horncastle: Egypt 2-3 Argentina. It did not look like it was going to be Messi’s night. He missed a penalty, his second of the tournament. A shot he attempted came closer to the corner flag than hitting the back of the net. And Mostafa Shobeir, the Egypt goalkeeper, was playing out of his skin, making a magnificent point-blank save from Alexis Mac Allister. The holders looked out. This was different from the Cape Verde game that preceded it. On that occasion, Argentina took the lead not once, not twice but three times. In this case, they were 2-0 down with 11 minutes remaining. No team in World Cup history had ever come back from such a deficit so late. When Argentina pulled it off, Lionel Scaloni and Messi burst into tears. It was unforgettable.

Kay: Yes, I was sitting next to James in the press box at that Egypt vs Argentina game and the two of us spent the second half gawping in astonishment at what we were watching. Egypt played so well and deserved better, but Messi and Argentina would not be denied.

Crafton: Germany 1-2 Ecuador. It feels like a long time ago now but at the time we thought Germany may be rather good and then Ecuador, who had underperformed with talented players for the opening two games, showed up in what felt like a home crowd in New Jersey and secured the best result in its history. It was the best atmosphere at MetLife during the tournament by some distance.

Green: Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde. It was the most lopsided matchup in the round of 32 but was the most enthralling. Bubista’s side refused to give up or look intimidated against the world champions, continuing to push the ball into the opposing half and trust their well-organized defence and new international hero Vozinha. And it almost worked!

Anka: Morocco 4-2 Haiti was one of those delicious World Cup “B sides”. Games that didn’t get the largest audience, but made for a lovely entertainment anyway. Wilson Isidor’s goal to make it 2-1 to Haiti was so good that a Morocco fan could be spotted in the crowd shaking his head and making a “Too Hot” gesture with his hands afterwards.

Weese: Portugal 2-1 Croatia was one of the most anticipated knockout-stage matches given the clash between Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric. It lived up to the hype and more.

Cardenas: I watched two of Mexico’s games in Mexico City’s incredible football atmosphere, but I was on the couch for Mexico versus England. It didn’t matter. That not only lived up to the hype but it left us with the best World Cup meme of all time. Javier Aguirre and Anthony Gordon, thank you.

Tenorio: Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde. There was so much to love about this game, from the spirit of Argentina to battle back and win it in extra time, to the extraordinary fight of Cape Verde, which was one of the best stories of the tournament.

James: Croatia vs Portugal in the last 32 would be up there. But the England-Mexico match takes it for me — one of the most compelling and intense World Cup matches I’ve ever watched. It had everything: loads of goals, penalties, a red card, an incredible atmosphere, and a coach telling opposition players to “f*** off” (in a funny way).

Mathews: I’m going to completely sit on the fence and name half a dozen. England vs France in the third-placed play-off was knockabout fun, while Cape Verde’s matches against Uruguay, Spain and then Argentina in the knockout stage were excellent. Two left-field choices? The 2-2 draws between Japan and the Netherlands, and Iran and New Zealand.

Miller: Measuring by the ‘holy hell, I can’t believe what I’m witnessing’ metric, it’s Argentina 3-2 Egypt. Measuring by the ‘emotional rollercoaster’ metric, it’s Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde. There’s also England 3-2 Mexico, Algeria 3-3 Austria and I retain a fondness for the opening game, Mexico 2-0 South Africa, which was dreadful as a competitive spectacle but even watching on TV thousands of miles away, the atmosphere smacked you in the face and told you this was going to be a fun few weeks.

Williamson: Mexico 2-3 England. I haven’t seen England play like that. I certainly haven’t seen them play like that having got up in the middle of the night to have the privilege. Brilliantly surreal.

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What was your favourite goal?

Stafford-Bloor: Pedro Porro against France, purely for Dani Olmo’s assist. To have the awareness to see both Porro’s run and the space behind the French, but then also to play the most perfectly weighted pass despite Dayot Upamecano barging through his back; that was a masterpiece from Olmo.

Horncastle: I am torn between Julian Alvarez’s curler against Switzerland and a near carbon copy from Cape Verde’s Sidny Lopes Cabral against Argentina. Let’s go with Cabral, as I was lucky enough to be in the stadium for it. What separates this goal from Alvarez’s is the move leading up to it. I didn’t realise at the time how many passes Cape Verde made before the ball ended up at Cabral’s feet. The strike alone made it worthy of consideration for goal of the tournament. But the combination of individual brilliance and collective endeavour is potent and has a multiplier effect. His celebration — running into the stands to find his girlfriend — was superb too.

Kay: Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Kerim Alajbegovic was one of those tipped as a young player to watch out for and, while he didn’t quite live up to the hype, the goal he scored against Qatar was a beauty. It reminded me slightly of that famous Neymar goal for Santos against Flamengo, which is one of my favourite goals of all time. More than that, it underlined him as a player to keep your eye on at Bayer Leverkusen.

Bushnell: There was something viscerally satisfying about Gio Reyna’s trivela capper in the U.S. opener. It wasn’t the tournament’s best goal — the top two were the ones James mentioned above — but it was so silky, and it also put a triumphant stamp on a night that deserved one, a night that suddenly made American fans feel like anything was possible.

Green: Cabral had the goal of the tournament, full stop, and I’m not sure what the point of the Puskas Award is if that doesn’t win this year’s edition. But for the sake of variety, how about Erling Haaland’s second against Brazil? That was one of the best finishes I’ve ever seen from him, and for him to deliver that in that moment for his country — in front of Premier League rival Gabriel, no less — is an incredible feat. As fun as it was to witness Haaland’s adventures in America between matchdays, he may somehow not be getting enough credit for what he did on the pitch in this tournament.

Crafton: Mbappe against Senegal in the opening France game. Senegal had just reduced the French lead to 2-1, only for Mbappe to pick the ball up 30 yards out and smash it at ridiculous speed into the back of the net. It was a clear sign he was locked in and meant business.

Anka: Amad’s weaving run and finish against Norway. Why did the Ivory Coast wait an hour to bring him on?

Weese: It’s Cabral’s goal for me. Then, Messi’s first goal he scored against Algeria. When Messi showcased his burst of speed and strike, it was a realization that this 39-year-old still has it and he’s going to make the World Cup a lot more compelling.

Tenorio: Cabral’s finish. The theater of the moment and the quality of the strike made it an easy choice.

Cardenas: Colombia’s third against Uzbekistan. Cucho Hernandez’s perseverance and pinpoint cross to Jaminton Campaz was a top goal at this World Cup.

James: Sorry to be predictable but I can’t look beyond that Cabral goal. It was a magical moment that will come to mind in years to come when we think of the 2026 World Cup (that’s not to say that we won’t think of bad things too: the Folarin Balogun fiasco goes straight in at No 1 there). Take a look at the reaction of the Argentina players to that goal, too: utter disbelief.

Mathews: The right answer is Cabral, but to be a bit different, how about Messi’s earlier in that same game? Velvet control and a perfectly judged half-volley. Isidor for Haiti stands out, too.

Miller: Cabral has been mentioned, and there’s Bellingham’s against Croatia and Isidor’s against Morocco, but Mbappe’s thunderbolt against Senegal takes it for its sheer visceral satisfaction.

Williamson: Stephen Eustaquio’s stoppage-time strike to beat South Africa and put Canada into the last 16 — after an absolute stinker of a game, admittedly — just clearly brought so much joy to the co-hosts. And we all need a bit of joy in our lives, don’t we?

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What was your favourite moment?

Stafford-Bloor: Kalajdzic’s stoppage-time equaliser against Algeria. Kalajdzic has had the rotten luck in his career, missing two years of what should have been his prime as a result of successive cruciate ligament tears between 2022 and 2024. At 29, it’s unlikely that he will see another World Cup. He will always have that header to save Austria’s skin, though, and few players ever get to experience something like that.

Horncastle: Miguel Almiron’s sending off for covering his mouth against Turkey. I have listened to all the techno remixes of referee Ivan Barton’s mic going live and talking to the crowd as if they were at Ushuaia in Ibiza. “AFTER REVIEW… PARAGUAY NO 10 COVERED HIS MOUTH… DECISION IS RED CARD.” A classic World Cup moment. Must say I enjoyed Romelu Lukaku leading the Belgium players in a rendition of the Trump dance after they knocked out USMNT.

Kay: The word that comes to mind here is simply “Messi”. It was remarkable to see him illuminate a World Cup like he did at this stage of his career. There were so many highlights, but watching him launch his sixth World Cup with a hat-trick against Algeria on a clammy evening in Kansas City, eight days before he turned 39, was just wonderful. And self-indulgently, away from the football, it was a privilege to watch another genius in Kansas City a couple of weeks later: Bob Dylan.

Cardenas: When Argentina fans and England supporters disrespected each other’s national anthem. I don’t condone that behavior, but that moment set the stage for a hostile and electric semifinal.

Bushnell: Argentina’s knockout-round heroics, again and again and again and again, and all the emotions that followed them, were remarkable. But on a personal level, I’ll never forget walking into SoFi Stadium on June 12 and simply feeling the giddy, once-in-a-lifetime energy of U.S. fans. After months of reporting on logistics, geopolitics, ticket prices and so on, this was when it struck me how special a World Cup on home soil would be. It was the precursor to all the scenes you saw across the United States. As someone who grew up in a pocket of that country where soccer fandom wasn’t really a thing, seeing the sport sweep up tens of millions of people was very, very cool.

Crafton: Probably Donald Trump’s diagnosis of Thomas Tuchel’s missteps against Argentina. “Harry (Kane), he’s a great attacker, but why have you turned him into a defender?” The consultancy world would call that a ‘fresh eyes’ perspective.

Green: Overall, watching my previously ambivalent friends and family members really gain a new appreciation for this sport during this World Cup. More specifically, I’ll go with the USMNT’s resilience against Bosnia and Herzegovina after Balogun got sent off, including Malik Tillman’s free kick to seal the game and the celebrations that erupted at Levi’s Stadium both immediately after the goal and at the final whistle — with Mauricio Pochettino belting out Country Roads. I’m extra thankful for those moments considering what came next…

Anka: World Cups can be a beautiful reminder of our shared commonality. The football is brilliant, of course, but these tournaments also provide off-field moments where you see football fans from different parts of the world doing the exact same thing you do when you’re stressed out when watching a game. The woman from Croatia shouting a big expletive to no one in particular when her team were facing elimination… I understand you.

The Paraguay fan taking a deep breath and going “Tranquilo, tranquilo” after Germany equalised… I feel you too.

Tenorio: It would have to be watching Messi still be Messi at 39 years old. But from an American perspective, I would say it was the 2-0 win over Australia. As fun as the Paraguay game was, there was something special about the crowd in Seattle, the atmosphere before the game and the Country Roads moment after the game. I’ve spent my life around American soccer, I’m not sure I’ll experience another game like that with the U.S. men’s national team.

Weese: Big picture, seeing the different country celebrations, from the Netherlands’ Links Rechts to Norway’s Viking row. From a specific match, I will go with Cabral scoring for Cape Verde and then running to embrace his girlfriend. What football is all about.

James: I enjoyed everything that Norway brought to the World Cup — and I don’t think Haaland was getting carried away when he talked about the legacy for the country, not just the football team. They connected with a whole nation, and a lot of people outside of Norway, too. Success doesn’t always make people likeable; but it did with Haaland and Norway.

Mathews: When Cabral goal celebrated with his partner. A lovely reminder that whether playing or watching football, it’s about who you do it with rather than what you do.

Miller: If it was scored by a more likeable player I might choose Enzo Fernandez’s winner against Egypt, but as I was there for this one I’ll choose instead Curacao’s first goal, scored by Livano Comenencia against Germany. It was ultimately meaningless, given they lost 7-1, but seeing the players in the mixed zone after you really couldn’t tell who had won and who had lost: the Curacao players were just overjoyed to be at the World Cup, and to have scored their goal.

Williamson: I just loved having football/soccer, whatever you want to call it, as the main topic of conversation; at home in the UK as England progressed through the tournament but also in the U.S. as more and more people switched on to this wonderful game. But then my worst moment…

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What was the worst moment?

Bushnell: Donald Trump’s phone call to Gianni Infantino, and everything that transpired between then and the USMNT’s round-of-16 showdown with Belgium. It should’ve been the biggest moment in American soccer history. Instead, it got swallowed up by a multi-layered controversy. Trump, ranting for minutes on end about Balogun’s red card on the morning of the match, became the voice of it. Players seemed shaken, and lost to Belgium 4-1. Those 48 hours were the worst possible ending to a once-magical U.S. run.

Cardenas: A tournament can be quickly stained when a head of state openly brags about influencing a key decision that benefits his national team. That was a dark yet inevitable day at the World Cup.

Horncastle: Remember Infantino taking credit for Iran’s participation in the World Cup? How he said he would drive them by bus from Tehran if necessary and everyone should just chill and relax? Mehdi Taremi called it a “disaster World Cup” and who can blame him? The conditions they were made to play in, outside of their Tijuana base, were disgraceful. The final insult came from Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullins saying he did a “happy dance” when Iran were eliminated.

Crafton: A FIFA referee — Somali Omar Artan — was accused by the U.S. government of fraternising with terrorists and declined entry at the border to a World Cup. That has to be one of the most extraordinary and unimaginable developments in the history of World Cups. On a lighter note, FIFA’s attempt to ban fans — eventually U-turned under duress — from bringing water bottles to stadiums in a summer World Cup encapsulated the greed that defined their tournament.

Stafford-Bloor: The specific moment after the Balogun fiasco when everybody realised that, despite the tournament’s credibility being compromised, it would have no effect at all on Infantino’s security as FIFA president. How disheartening is that? As long as the associations around the world are getting their money, they can forgive anything. What a bleak glimpse into the future.

Green: It was easily the Balogun red-card fiasco and the whole mess caused by Trump, which Henry summed up brilliantly from a U.S. perspective. Strictly on the pitch, allow me to add my name to the list of writers at this publication asking: What on earth were you thinking against Argentina, Thomas Tuchel?!?

Anka: Iran’s treatment throughout the tournament was a black mark that shouldn’t be skipped over.

Weese: Undoubtedly the Balogun controversy is the worst. For the sake of being different, I’ll go with the very first hydration break of the tournament. It was a realization that the traditional ways of football were likely over as this World Cup would now be played in four quarters instead of two halves for commercial purposes.

Tenorio: Undoubtedly the decision to appeal Balogun’s red card, which led to Trump getting involved. I think it was the wrong decision by U.S. Soccer and went against everything Pochettino had preached about the team being bigger than the individual. It flipped the narrative and momentum away from the home team before the biggest game in U.S. men’s national team history.

James: From a personal point of view, it would be watching England inevitably concede (and lose) against Argentina during that abject final half an hour — you just knew it was coming and it was painful to watch. From a wider perspective, the Balogun fiasco left me speechless. Infantino and FIFA were lucky that the USMNT didn’t win that Belgium tie, because they’d have had a major problem on their hands afterwards. Oh, you can also add the circus before the final, as well as during half-time, to the list too.

Miller: If we’re asking for a single moment, it was the look on Taremi’s face when he declared the tournament a “disaster”: even if you only look at the way they were treated on a football level, it simply wasn’t fair. Beyond that, the number of players at the tournament who have been accused of sexual assault was deeply dispiriting, too.

Mathews: What happened before a ball had been kicked: the visa restrictions which prevented fans from several countries — and the mum of Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, at first — even travelling to the country. Imagine how much brighter, open and more colourful the tournament could have been with all of them there.

Williamson: There were many, but I think the fella decked out in designer gear topped off by a half-and-half scarf (they should be banned — you can’t support both teams) coming out of the final to check his prediction platform and look at his pictures of the half-time show was a low point. I worry about the future of this game.

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Which team disappointed most?

Horncastle: One performance doesn’t unmake a summer but the abject display the U.S. put in against Belgium sticks in the mind. Belgium were belittled in the lead-up to the game. Rudi Garcia then arguably drew up the game plan of the tournament, leaving Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku out of his starting XI and still managing to humiliate the hosts. The U.S. looked overawed and distracted by the scrutiny that followed Trump’s decision to request the suspension of Balogun’s red card.

Kay: I agree with Henry about Portugal. There was so much focus on the Ronaldo factor, but it wasn’t just that. Vitinha and Bruno Fernandes, who were two of the best players in Europe last season, looked so far below their usual standard. I don’t know whether it was physical or tactical or whether it was bad vibes in the camp, but they were so disappointing. The most damning thing about Germany is that their struggles, after the early victory over Curacao, were less of a shock.

Bushnell: Portugal. There’s no shame in losing a knockout match to Spain, of course, but there is shame in going to a World Cup with Vitinha, Fernandes, Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes, Rafael Leao, Bernardo Silva and so many other talented players and… only putting in one convincing performance (against Uzbekistan).

Stafford-Bloor: Turkey were desperately underwhelming. It was not necessarily that they played poorly, more that they seemed to have no emotional control. From the moment they went behind against Australia, they fell into a panic from which they were unable to recover. Maybe it was the defeat by Paraguay that best described their flaws? They had 88 minutes to find an equaliser in that game and tripped over their own feet time after time in pursuit of it, as the burden of impending failure weighed heavily.

Crafton: I’m not sure Portugal count because it was just so obvious what they would be and have been with Ronaldo in recent tournaments. It sounds strange to say France but they had the best players and they just didn’t turn up against Spain. Didier Deschamps and that group will have regrets.

Cardenas: Brazil were Brazil and that was disappointing. I thought they’d find some kind of new inspiration from Carlo Ancelotti, but that didn’t happen. They were defensive, nervous and frankly boring.

Green: Does Italy count? No? Then with (dis)respect to Ecuador — five goals conceded across 18 matches in CONMEBOL qualifying, five conceded and just two scored in four World Cup matches — I’ll go with South Korea. Group A seemed tailor-made to give them a runner-up finish to co-hosts Mexico, which would have set up a round-of-32 match in Los Angeles, where captain Son Heung-min now plays his club football and where the largest Korean population in the world outside of the Korean peninsula itself resides. It would have been the greatest crowd advantage that side had enjoyed in a World Cup since the 2002 tournament on home soil. Instead, South Korea went belly-up in the group stage after an opening win over the Czech Republic and couldn’t even secure a qualifying third-place spot. Son did eventually break his 2026 goalless drought this summer, it’s just he did it in an LAFC shirt against crosstown rivals LA Galaxy on Friday.

Anka: Senegal. The runners-up/winners of the last Africa Cup of Nations had two dreadful implosions, first against Norway in the group stage before a bizarre collapse when facing Belgium in the round of 32. Nine of 10 African qualifiers made it out of the group stages, leading to the hope that it would be the continent’s most successful World Cup yet. But the repeated late collapses of African teams made for a strange and frustrating watch.

Miller: Also Senegal. They looked like the best African team going into the tournament, but threw away a great chance to do something special with a pair of implosions.

Weese: I’ll go with Brazil. Sure, they didn’t have the depth they have had in previous years. But Brazil, a country with five World Cups, going out with a whimper against Norway — their earliest exit at this tournament since 1990 — was quite disappointing.

Tenorio: The U.S. — maybe they weren’t the biggest disappointment, but the manner in which they were eliminated was an enormous letdown and a massive missed opportunity. It wasn’t just that they lost to Belgium. With 50 million people watching, the U.S. put in an awful showing and were completely outclassed. It was a painful reminder of how far this program still has to go.

Williamson: I agree with Paul, I thought the way the U.S. were eliminated felt like such a wasted opportunity.

James: A few to choose from here, including Germany, Uruguay, Portugal and Turkey. I’ll say Turkey on the basis that I didn’t think it was a particularly challenging group for them. The 2-0 defeat by Australia, in their opening game, really surprised me and, I guess, set the tone. They were eliminated after two matches, which is pretty embarrassing in a World Cup where eight of the 12 third-placed teams qualified for the next round.

Mathews: Tunisia were hauntingly bad. They sacked manager Sabri Lamouchi after one game and should have sacked new man Herve Renard after a capitulation in the next. Three games, three losses, 12 conceded, two scored.

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Who was your favourite new player?

Horncastle: America has chosen Haaland.

Kay: A scout at a Premier League club mentioned Mexico’s Gilberto Mora to me during last year’s Under-20 World Cup. It’s easy to see why. He is still developing physically, but he is such a talent. I expect he will be on his way to Europe very soon.

Miller: I knew a bit about him before the tournament, but after watching him play for Switzerland I’m delighted I’ll be able to see more of Johan Manzambi at Aston Villa next season.

Williamson: Bellingham. He now has the distinction of crossing into my mum’s friends’ consciousness; a high bar to achieve.

Crafton: Ayyoub Bouaddi of Morocco is going to be a star. He was so good against Brazil in that opening game. I hope he chooses his next transfer sensibly, a club where he will get plenty of time and space to mature.

James: I’m happy to have been proved wrong when it comes to Djed Spence. I thought it was a strange call on Tuchel’s part to take him to the World Cup and seriously questioned what he could bring to the squad, never mind the team. As it happens, I thought Spence came out of the tournament as one of England’s best performers. He just got better and better.

Green: Alex Freeman looks like a USMNT mainstay at a position of massive need. His World Cup coming-out party wasn’t perfect but was an excellent cap to his meteoric rise at the club level over the past year.

Anka: This was the summer of Spence, a player who won over middle England without ever changing his personality. I’ll think of his tackle on Argentina’s Giuliano Simeone for a long time.

Weese: Cubarsi. Extraordinary defending from a 19-year-old, especially in the final.

Tenorio: I’ll echo Lukas. Cubarsi deserved the Young Player Award. He was fantastic all tournament.

Cardenas: Mora was so fun to watch. He’s 17 and certainly looks his age (maybe younger) but his poise on the ball and football intelligence were so impressive. His mistake against England that led to Bellingham’s goal will be a difficult moment that he can learn from.

Mathews: Deniz Undav’s cameos were fun. Pico Lopes, the Shamrock Rovers centre-half recruited on LinkedIn, at the heart of Cape Verde’s defence was magnificent. Olise has been brilliant for years but is new to the global stage. And Bellingham was quite something too.

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What was the best thing you read from a colleague?

Bushnell: Felipe Cardenas’ interview with Santiago Escobar — the brother of Andres Escobar, the Colombian defender who was murdered weeks after his own goal at the 1994 World Cup — was really powerful and well done.

Horncastle: A trio of exclusives left me gobsmacked. Jacob Whitehead on Ivory Coast striker Elye Wahi’s arrest on suspicion of match-fixing a fortnight before the World Cup. Dan Sheldon on Canada denying Ghana’s Thomas Partey a visa and the Balogun story he did with Adam Crafton, which broke the internet.

Williamson: What James said, plus Jerry Brewer’s visceral writing, plus… I could go on and on! But I shouldn’t single out names and, honestly, I have been so proud of the brilliant journalism The Athletic has produced. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as we have enjoyed bringing it to you.

Kay: This piece from Jacob Whitehead, on Mexico’s disappeared, left me drained and emotional. Superb journalism on a terribly sad subject.

Green: Adam Crafton, Henry Bushnell and the rest of our reporting team were on top of seemingly every important story before and during this tournament, and I loved the in-depth coverage Henry, Paul Tenorio and Tom Bogert provided of the USMNT, too. But the deeply reported, multi-faceted accounting of Iran’s “disaster” World Cup from Laurie Whitwell and Jacob Whitehead is essential reading for anyone looking to understand the tournament’s most fraught geopolitical storyline. Special shoutout to Megan Feringa for her important work in highlighting another key story of this World Cup, one that few people wanted to talk about.

Anka: Feature reads from James Horncastle are best enjoyed with your feet up, a glass of wine and a jazz record in the background. His ability to weave an excellent tale in under 1,200 words is something I’m constantly striving for. Take this read on the identity crisis occurring in Dutch football after their round-of-32 elimination.

Crafton: Jerry Brewer’s column writing is unmatched. This piece on the Balogun affair in the days that followed captured it perfectly.

Weese: It was a pleasure to work alongside colleagues who consistently produced high-quality, thorough sports journalism. I’ll go with my fellow Canadian Joshua Kloke and his story about watching the World Cup with his son. We all have memories watching this global event as a kid and Joshua eloquently captures the imagination of what it’s like taking in this spectacle as a child.

Tenorio: There was so much I loved in the coverage this year. I have to say how consistently impressed I was with Henry Bushnell’s coverage of ticket prices and issues with FIFA around tickets and seat assignments. The single piece I loved the most was Felipe’s piece with Andres Escobar’s brother, Santiago. I also loved this Messi-Argentina piece from James Horncastle.

James: That’s a long list. I could mention so many people. But I’m going to focus on the biggest story of the tournament — Balogun being suspended but then not suspended. That was a brilliant story to break: huge credit to Adam Crafton and Dan Sheldon.

Mathews: Among so many other choices, one of Jack Lang’s many knockout pieces. On Mexico: homophobic chanting, beer raining down, Guillermo Ochoa’s farewell. The Jorge Campos interview. O.J. Simpson and Diana Ross. And, here, a simple reminder on new father Jeremy Doku that some things are more important than football.

Cardenas: I enjoyed Tom Williams’ story about the hilarious Mbappe dictator meme. Phil Buckingham’s Erling Halaand feature was really good, too, and so timely.

Stafford-Bloor: I’ll name a couple. Jacob Whitehead on Mexico’s disappeared, Paul the Octopus by Oli Kay, and Michael Cox’s tactical work across the whole tournament. All different, all great.

Miller: Megan Feringa on the number of players accused of sexual assault. At the other end of the scale, Jack Lang approaching Jorge Campos with a fistful of felt-tip pens and getting him to design a goalkeeper shirt was a joy.

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Which was the best host city?

Bushnell: Of the four I visited (all in the U.S.), Seattle stood out. The scene around Lumen Field is unique in America, where most major sports stadiums are surrounded by… parking lots. Seattle’s downtown would fill with fans on matchdays. It was easily accessible via public transportation. And even on non-matchdays, you could feel the World Cup wherever you went.

Horncastle: Atlanta. Newer stadiums like SoFi and AT&T attracted a lot of attention. But the Mercedes-Benz was everything I wanted in an American super stadium. It’s downtown and walkable. It has a genuine wow factor. The soft serve in the press tribune is free and it was the venue for Argentina’s memorable comebacks against Egypt and England.

Cardenas: I’m Atlanta-based so I do agree with James. However, the mystique of the Azteca made this World Cup special. It can be a logistical nightmare to get to and you won’t see the modern amenities of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. But it’s a football temple. And it’s huge. That’s all that matters.

Kay: I visited six and my favourite was the one that embraced the World Cup most enthusiastically: Kansas City. There were a few issues transportation-wise early on, but I just loved the atmosphere in the city on matchdays and I think the visiting fans did too.

Crafton: Seattle was the city that felt like FIFA was visiting Seattle rather than Seattle visiting FIFA. Some venues can start to feel like you could be anywhere in the world once FIFA starts turning them into copy-and-paste arenas and fan zones with their never-ending cast of sponsors, but Seattle retained some authenticity.

Green: The best host stadium was the Azteca by a mile, but I would rate the best host city as a tie between Seattle and Atlanta. Both have strong soccer cultures and already iconic (American) football venues — located near their respective city centers — that made the most of their opportunities to shine on the world stage.

Anka: Boston’s love affair with Scotland football fans was a joy to watch.

Weese: There were a lot of questions about Toronto’s ability to be a World Cup host city. Will people care? Will traffic be unbearable? Could the temporary seating at BMO Field actually withstand the number of people All those fears were quelled when Toronto put on six memorable matchday experiences, along with raucous watch parties throughout the city. The marches to the matches showcased Toronto’s vibrant multiculturalism, as fans from various diasporas sang, cheered and celebrated together. From Canada’s first World Cup match on home soil to a Portugal-Croatia knockout thriller, Toronto aced the test, creating long-lasting memories.

Tenorio: For me it was easily Seattle. The location of the stadium, the gameday environment. It all felt so fun and genuine. It was the perfect American soccer experience.

James: Tricky for me to answer that definitively as I spent my time between two cities — Dallas and Kansas City — and in both places I found the people to be super friendly (if anyone wants to know where to buy a great protein bowl in Kansas City, my DMs are open). I’d imagine Mexico City was a lot of fun, and definitely the best place to watch football, but also chaotic and stressful at times — the unflappable Jack Lang can handle that kind of thing effortlessly.

Mathews: Kansas City. Location, sure. But mostly because of its welcome and mutual embrace of Algerians with open arms. What sport can and should be about.

Miller: Well I only went to games in Houston, so I’ll say… not Houston.

Williamson: I thought Seattle looked and sounded like a proper football/soccer stadium.

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Who will win a men’s World Cup first out of Mexico, Canada and the U.S.?

Bushnell: The U.S. — though there’s a chance the world ends before it happens. It will be a very, very long time until any of these countries win it. Mexico has the football culture but not the developmental systems or the resources. The U.S. has the resources but not the culture. Over time, though, and especially in the aftermath of this World Cup, new fans become parents who pass on a love for the sport; more kids start playing; generational fandom grows. The soccer culture here is never going to be what it is in much of South America and Europe, but decades from now, it could be rich enough to produce a men’s World Cup contender.

Horncastle: I guess if we get Trump 3, he might be able to organise a U.S. win with ‘Johnny’ Infantino. Why stop at suspending Balogun’s red card ban?

Kay: That’s a curveball of a question. Only eight teams have ever won the men’s World Cup — and only six in the past 60 years. The last first-time winners were Argentina in 1978, France in 1998 and Spain in 2010. Even being a vaguely credible contender to the extent that England are (two semi-finals and one quarter-final in the past three tournaments) feels so distant for these three nations.

Green: The U.S. has the best combination of resources and culture of the three nations listed here, so that’s my pick, but granted it’s a low bar. It is the only country of the three whose women’s team has won a World Cup (four, in fact!). But realistically, none of these three nations are winning a World Cup anytime soon, and that’s OK.

Anka: The U.S., but the three nations feel 30 years away from reaching a semi-final. You need proper developmental systems and infrastructure to become a stronger football nation, but to *win* a World Cup, you also need the football gods to smile upon you when injuries, suspensions and penalty shootouts arise.

Stafford-Bloor: None of them; I don’t think it will ever happen. They each have their own challenges and obstacles, but it’s really difficult to imagine the talent, the coaching and the circumstances all colliding in a way that would make it possible for any of those countries. I say that reluctantly, because football should be optimistic, but — at club and international level — it’s a game that rewards established powers, time after time, and until someone cures the sport’s inequities that is not going to change.

Cardenas: The easy answer is the U.S. — the country has the resources, infrastructure and a 350 million population. But I agree with Seb. I can’t imagine seeing a CONCACAF side winning the World Cup in my lifetime.

Weese: It would truly be shocking if one of these countries won a World Cup. If I had to pick, it’s the United States. But to Seb’s point, I just don’t see it happening. Let’s take baby steps, though. Hopefully a quarter-final appearance in 2030 from one of these three.

Tenorio: I don’t think I can see any of them winning it. If I had to pick one, I guess I’d say… Mexico? I think with the home-field advantage in Mexico they’d have a chance to go deeper in the tournament.

James: Will any of them ever win one? I don’t say that in a disrespectful way. I’m not convinced England will ever win the World Cup again in my lifetime. But I don’t think any of the host nations at this World Cup are on a pathway to having the best team in the world in the future. One thing on that: as someone who has been involved in coaching as a volunteer for the past decade, the whole pay-to-play setup is extremely hard for me to get my head around.

Mathews: Infrastructurally, the United States. Vibes-wise, Mexico.

Crafton: None. Sorry. But the U.S. may well win a World Cup next summer — the Women’s World Cup. If you want a job doing…!

Miller: One of the frequent irritations of the tournament was American YouTubers who had seemingly never watched a game of football in their lives, aggressively insisting that if the U.S. took football more seriously, they would win the World Cup. They can’t, and they won’t. Of the three, Mexico will have the best chance. But none of them will actually do it.

Williamson: I wonder if any ever will, but I think the U.S., then Mexico, then Canada.

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Who will win the next men’s World Cup?

Bushnell: Spain, playing at home, after what we’ve seen over the past three years, is a pretty clear favorite. It’s almost impossible to build an argument against them — beyond the fact that soccer is incredibly random and no team can be a prohibitive favorite years in advance.

Horncastle: Italy, obviously. A repeat of 1982.

Kay: Zinedine Zidane will lead France to glory.

Green: Maybe I’m just holding on to hope at this point, but there’s still so much young talent on Portugal’s roster that I really think they can contend for a title in the 2030 tournament they’ll co-host, freed from the shackles of Roberto Martinez and (hopefully) the 41-year-old striker who played nearly every minute of every game in this tournament.

Crafton: France. Their forward line. Wow. (See, I’ve forgotten that lesson I learned literally hours ago where I’m meant to care more about defences and midfields.)

Cardenas: It’ll be in Spain, right? Get ready for a repeat winner.

Stafford-Bloor: Much of this Spanish squad will be young enough to return in four years. Pedri, Gavi, Cubarsi, Alex Baena and Lamine Yamal, and all three of those world-class goalkeepers (Unai Simon, Joan Garcia and David Raya).

Weese: France. Mbappe and co avenge Spain on Spanish soil to win the country’s third World Cup.

Tenorio: France. Just so much quality.

James: Well, I couldn’t get it right when we were at the semi-final stage for this World Cup, so I’m not sure what the chances are of me predicting something four years down the line and when we can’t even be sure who qualifies — Italy, surely you don’t miss out on this one. Out of loyalty to France, my team of choice at this World Cup, I’ll say Les Bleus again. I reckon their forward line will still be in reasonable shape (Desire Doue will be 25, Rayan Cherki 26, Bradley Barcola 27, Olise 28 and Mbappe 31) when that tournament comes around.

Anka: Gut says France. Heart says England. Head says Spain.

Mathews: Carl has got this bang on. But as a wildcard, I’ll say… Morocco, Brazil or Germany.

Miller: My heart says co-hosts Morocco, but to paraphrase ‘High Fidelity’, my heart frequently has s**t for brains, so I’ll say Spain again.

Williamson: France. I still can’t believe they just didn’t turn up to face Spain.