The 2026 World Cup, hosted jointly by the United States, Mexico and Canada, delivered on Fifa's terms: dramatic matches, huge attendances and record revenues that far exceeded even Fifa's own projections. However, the article's author argues the tournament's benefits flowed largely to Fifa itself rather than to host communities, with the American leg in particular marked by exclusive, expensive tickets and a heavily commercialised presentation borrowed from US sporting culture.

The piece highlights that Fifa's structure ensures all proceeds return to its Switzerland headquarters, leaving no dedicated fund for local organisers to reinvest in communities that hosted matches. Mexico, staging its third World Cup, reached the last 16 as usual, while first-time hosts Canada exceeded expectations before a 3-0 defeat to Morocco. The expanded 48-team format was judged a success, with talk already turning to a possible further expansion to 64 teams, while the article warns the US legacy may prove more complicated given the lack of tangible local benefit.