From high ticket prices to hydration breaks, new laws and political interventions, there has rarely been a dull moment at the 2026 World Cup.

Argentina and Spain will contest the World Cup final at the New York/New Jersey Stadium on Sunday Fifa president Gianni Infantino promised the 2026 World Cup would be the "biggest event in the history of mankind". Infantino likened the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada to 104 Super Bowls in one month. For the first time, the World Cup featured 48 teams, with Curacao, Cape Verde, Jordan and Uzbekistan making their debuts. But did this dilute the quality of the tournament? Then there is the mandatory, three-minute hydration breaks, regardless of conditions, which enabled broadcasters to cash in with commercials. The politicisation of the World Cup began before the tournament with visa issues and Iran's participation, then US President Donald Trump intervened to get Florian Balogun's red card overturned. Pierlugi Collina, Fifa's head of referees, waged war on time-wasting and pushed through a raft of law changes. But did this make a real difference? Cape Verde's qualification for the knockout rounds vindicated Gianni Infantino's decision to expand the tournament to 48 teams