EDITORIAL | Fifa president promised ‘greatest event ever’; we got shenanigans

The curtain will fall on the 2026 Fifa World Cup on Sunday night, ending a month-long football festival that will be remembered as one embroiled in controversy more than any of the 22 editions before it.

For starters, the world football governing body will smile all the way to the bank thanks to the riches gained from the expanded event played in Mexico, Canada and the US, which saw Fifa net a record revenue.

There is no disputing the frightening prowess of the French duo of Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé; the bulldozing, hulking Norwegian Viking Erling Haaland; the Harry Kane-Jude Bellingham English combination; the symmetric passing of Spain; and the irrepressible force that is Lionel Messi added the flavour fit for the world stage.

In the early stages of the competition there were breathtaking blocks from the goalkeepers, particularly Vozinha, the Cape Verde goalie who gained global attention by stopping 27 of the 33 shots during the island nation’s historic showing at the spectacle, including seven crucial saves when they drew goalless with Spain.

While few can argue against the credentials of defending champions Argentina as a powerhouse, their deep run in the tournament has been frowned upon by some sections of followers of the sport who are convinced it has been aided by dubious decisions from questionable officiating.

There’s a feeling that the tournament was designed largely to appeal to American audiences

While the superstars of the show shone bright, there were eyebrow-raising moments that constantly conspired to mire the global showpiece in a bad light.

There’s a feeling that the tournament was designed largely to appeal to American audiences. The introduction of an innovation such as the so-called hydration breaks effectively broke matches into four quarter segments while satisfying the demands of advertisers, much to the chagrin of the spectators who booed each time the referee signalled for the unpopular timeouts.

A lot of off-field incidents drew the ire of fans around the globe as they showed displeasure about a perceived propensity by Fifa president Gianni Infantino to please US President Donald Trump at every turn.

Several other harrowing aspects have taken the shine from Fifa’s premier event, and its boss has shamelessly been a central figure. The Italian, who bizarrely presented Trump with a Fifa “peace prize” during the World Cup draw ceremony in December, appeared hellbent on pandering to every Trump whim, including appearing to influence the overturning of the red card of American Folarin Balogun. Instead of serving an automatic match ban, the red card was suspended for a year after a Trump phone call to Infantino.

Another stain on what critics have termed the Trump Cup was the treatment meted out to the Iran national team, which had to contend with travel restrictions that required them to arrive in the US a day before a match and depart soon after. These restrictions followed hot on the heels of the denial of a visa to top African referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, the Somali official who was denied entry to the US on suspicion of ties to members of terrorist organisations.

These inhumane acts stuck out like a sore thumb and fly in the face of the promise of the greatest event humanity has ever seen made by Infantino. It is hardly surprising that members of one of the six confederations that comprise Fifa, Uefa, are actively seeking a candidate that will challenge Infantino and block his bid to serve a third term as Fifa president. They believe that Infantino has allowed a lot of foul play to take place under his watch.