I do not remember so much enmity among audiences against a team like Argentina in a World Cup in my lifetime. The Argentinians were aggressive, acting like bullies, and were shown favoritism throughout the game. So symbolic that Netanyahu gave them support. Last night, I was Spanish, and so were millions around the world
As a side note, I became a Haarland fan, too. At the end of this post, you will see the reasons listed for his virality.
I hope the US does not host the game again. They did their best to contaminate the game thanks to the FIFA president, a living representation of corruption:
Politics, immigration and exclusion
A core strand of critique targets US immigration and security policy during the tournament, including travel bans that effectively barred ordinary fans from countries such as Iran, Haiti and Somalia, even while teams and staff were allowed entry. Reports document referees, team officials and journalists being denied entry or detained for long periods despite valid accreditation, reinforcing perceptions of discrimination and securitised “fortress America” hosting a supposedly global festival. Analysts have framed this as a geopolitical World Cup shaped by the Iran war, aggressive immigration enforcement and Trump-era travel bans, arguing that much of the world simply cannot attend a tournament nominally presented as universal.
Trump, “MAGA World Cup” and sportswashing
Critics also highlight the political use of the tournament by President Donald Trump, casting 2026 as a “MAGA World Cup” and a platform for domestic and international image‑making. Commentators and some academics describe the event as a vehicle for sportswashing—projecting American strength and unity while distracting from contentious policies at home and abroad. Figures like Sepp Blatter and governance experts have even supported calls for fans to stay away or consider boycotts, explicitly linking their stance to Trump’s conduct and the wider political climate in the US.
Greed, ticket prices and commercialisation
Another dense cluster of criticism concerns the economics of the tournament, especially dynamic ticket pricing and premium seat strategies that rendered many matches unaffordable for ordinary supporters. Investigations by state attorneys general in New York and New Jersey examine claims that FIFA’s ticketing system misled consumers, withheld blocks of tickets to drive up prices, and delivered inferior seats compared to what fans believed they had bought. Journalists note that category‑1 tickets and final‑match seats reached five‑figure dollar amounts, with resale markets pushing prices even higher, leading some to argue that America “broke” the World Cup by treating it as an ATM rather than a public celebration.
Accessibility, logistics and fan experience
From a practical standpoint, critics point to the vast distances between venues, car‑centric urban design, and limited public transport as major structural flaws in US hosting. Long travel times, costly domestic flights, congestion around stadiums and congested concourses contribute to a perception that the host has prioritised spectacle over basic accessibility. European fan groups and media commentaries add another layer, arguing that match‑day experience has been overly “Americanised” with heavy sponsor activations and entertainment elements that sit uneasily with traditional supporter culture.
Expansion, schedule and environment
The tournament’s expansion to 48 teams and 104 matches is also part of the critique of US‑centred hosting, since this required a spread across many cities and intensified travel‑related emissions. Environmental organisations estimate multi‑million‑ton carbon footprints, suggesting this may be one of the most environmentally damaging World Cups yet, with the North American geography and air‑travel dependence magnifying impact. Combined with the commercial incentives behind expansion, some writers see the 2026 World Cup as a case study in how mega‑events amplify ecological and logistical strain while deepening inequalities in who can actually be present.
The Legend of Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland Is Everywhere at the World Cup. Most of It Is AI
Erling Haaland became a viral sensation at the 2026 World Cup because his prolific goal‑scoring combined with a highly memeable, self‑deprecating social‑media persona and a series of quirky off‑pitch moments that spread across TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.
On‑field performance
Haaland arrived as one of the tournament’s most feared strikers and quickly justified that reputation by scoring multiple goals and carrying Norway to their first‑ever World Cup quarter‑finals. His physical presence (about 6’5, “Viking” aesthetics) plus clips of him charging at full speed across the pitch produced countless fan edits and horror‑movie style memes that circulated widely online.
Memeable body language and “relatable” persona
A key viral trigger was his awkward, exaggerated walk leaving the pitch, with his head and neck thrust forward and shoulders stiff; fans turned this into a global meme that influencers from South America to Russia began reenacting. Old footage of the same walk from a Manchester City game was rediscovered, strengthening the narrative that he is simultaneously an elite athlete and humorously “goofy,” which many viewers found relatable. Articles emphasise that this combination of extraordinary ability and slightly odd mannerisms made him feel like someone who could “do extraordinary things with the ball and still be somehow relatable.”
Social media self‑presentation
Haaland’s own digital practices amplified this: he posts frequent, unscripted content on Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, apparently running his accounts himself rather than outsourcing them to a media team. Viral clips include him joking that he is Norway’s “social media guy” when approached by fans, sharing infrared‑sauna selfies, and casually documenting training sessions and recovery routines with deadpan captions. His following and engagement numbers surged dramatically during the tournament, with reports of hundreds of millions of Reel views and sharp spikes in search and hashtag activity.
Off‑pitch Americana and quirky “bits”
A lot of his World Cup virality specifically hinges on these off‑pitch “bits” set against the US host context: eating a famous New York deli sandwich on camera, adopting a playful Southern US accent, and visiting a Dallas Western store to buy cowboy gear and pose in a Stetson and “Y’All Can Kiss My Dallas” t‑shirt. His return home with a taxidermied raccoon, presented as a bizarre American souvenir, further reinforced the image of a player engaging ironically but enthusiastically with US culture. Media pieces describe him as transforming from a perceived “robot footballer” to the “World Cup meme king” and “internet’s ‘babygirl’,” capturing fans through character as much as through performance.sports.
Resurfaced rap video and broader fan culture
Finally, a 2016 homemade rap video (“Kygo jo”) from his youth national‑team days resurfaced and was remixed by DJ Kygo, turning into a stadium‑adjacent viral track and adding a nostalgic, multi‑platform layer to his fame. Fans have framed this as evidence of a long‑running, playful creativity, commenting that he “wins the World Cup and sells platinum on music” and joking that becoming a professional footballer was “the biggest publicity stunt a rapper has ever done for their song.” Together, these elements made Haaland one of the World Cup’s central digital characters, blurring the line between elite athlete, meme subject, and participatory creator in contemporary football culture.
Success stories
Underdog teams and breakout players
Cape Verde reaching the knockouts in their first World Cup, becoming the smallest nation ever to get out of the group and symbolising the upside of the 48‑team format.[youtube][bbc.co]
Multiple African sides (Morocco, Ivory Coast and others) topping or surviving tough groups, reinforcing Africa’s status as a genuine competitive force rather than mere “outsiders.”[bbc.co][youtube]
A Cape Verde goalkeeper whose performance against Spain turned him from relative unknown into a social‑media star, jumping from tens of thousands to over 16 million Instagram followers.[bbc.co][youtube]
Breakout World Cup performances by lesser‑known players from Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe highlighted in “breakout stars” features, many now linked with major‑league transfers.[365scores]
Established stars and historic milestones
Spain winning the World Cup by beating Argentina in the final, adding a new chapter to the country’s footballing history.[foxsports][youtube]
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both appearing at what is widely framed as their last World Cup, extending their legacies and driving record global engagement.[youtube][sports.yahoo]
A tightly contested Golden Boot race featuring Messi, Mbappé, Haaland, Ronaldo and Kane, which ensured that the game’s biggest names were central to the tournament narrative.[bbc.co]
Format and attendance
Record crowd numbers early in the tournament, including over 281,000 fans across four group matches in a single day, helping to frame 2026 as one of the best‑attended World Cups ever.[sports.yahoo]
The 48‑team format producing more “Cinderella” runs and meaningful matches than many critics had expected, with some analysts arguing it hit a “sweet spot” for drama without (yet) collapsing competitiveness.[bbc.co][youtube]
Fan culture and atmosphere
Highly visible supporter cultures—Norway’s “Viking Row,” Scotland’s Tartan Army, and African and Latin American fan groups—becoming mobile rituals reproduced at non‑football events across North America.[youtube]
Co‑host countries (USA, Canada, Mexico) generally exceeding expectations in terms of stadium atmosphere and near‑sell‑out crowds, despite major criticism of costs and logistics.[forbes][youtube]
Turkish fans’ short-lived fun:
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