Was this actually a great World Cup? Here's my honest verdict

Was this actually a great World Cup? examines the tournament’s legacy through the writer’s experience rather than official superlatives. The article references FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s claim that the event was the best and most spectacular World Cup, contrasted with remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump calling it among the greatest events of any kind. It questions how “United 2026” fits historically, noting how such descriptions are typically repeated after every World Cup. The piece describes the author’s mixed feelings after being at the final, calling it a “strange” event while still acknowledging the significance of attending. It also says the World Cup’s global scale diluted the sense of a contained festival in more spread-out host cities.