The 2026 World Cup is over, but the onslaught of soccer relentlessly rolls on | Leander Schaerlaeckens
Now that the 2026 World Cup has finished, football's calendar has snapped straight back into its usual non-stop rhythm, with domestic leagues and cup competitions across Europe and beyond already under way or about to start. Guardian writer Leander Schaerlaeckens argues this constant churn undermines the sport's own appeal, since the World Cup's rarity and shared global audience are precisely what make it feel special, whereas the relentless year-round supply of club football dilutes attention and makes most matches feel routine and easily ignored.
Just a week after the World Cup ended, the Scottish Premiership, Dutch Eredivisie and English Carabao Cup are all kicking off, while European qualifying rounds began as early as 7 July, Liga MX's Apertura is already two rounds in, and Major League Soccer resumed on 16 July. The article notes the World Cup itself expanded by 50% to 48 teams for 2026, with Fifa reportedly keen on an even larger 64-team, more frequent format, contrasting this with the NFL's approach of preserving scarcity to keep its product feeling like a genuine event rather than an ever-present background hum.
- World Cup finished, but leagues and cups worldwide resume almost immediately
- Writer says football's oversupply dilutes the sport's appeal and attention
- Contrasts Fifa's expansion plans with NFL's scarcity-driven popularity model
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The 2026 World Cup has just finished, but professional football has immediately returned to its usual relentless schedule. Within days, domestic leagues and cup competitions across Europe and beyond are kicking off or already underway, from the English Carabao Cup to Scotland's Premiership and the Dutch Eredivisie, with competitions in other parts of the world similarly resumed or continuing.
This creates a tension that concerns some observers: the World Cup's appeal rests on it being a rare, globally watched spectacle that stands apart from everyday football. When club matches are constantly available throughout the year, the World Cup risks becoming just another fixture in an endless calendar.
Football's governing body Fifa has recently expanded the World Cup itself to 48 teams in 2026, up from 32 previously, and is considering even larger, more frequent tournaments in future. Other major sports have taken a different approach to their championships; American football, for instance, maintains the appeal of its Super Bowl by keeping it scarce and exceptional rather than a frequent occurrence.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The World Cup's appeal fundamentally rests on its rarity and the sense of a genuine global event that transcends everyday club football. When football becomes an incessant, year-round background hum, the World Cup loses its power to captivate diverse audiences and create shared cultural moments. The NFL's deliberate preservation of scarcity demonstrates that limiting supply can paradoxically increase a competition's prestige and appeal, making each match feel genuinely consequential rather than routine.
The case against
Professional football's ecosystem requires consistent competitive play to sustain thousands of clubs, development pathways, and player livelihoods worldwide. Domestic leagues and cup competitions have intrinsic value for their own fan communities, not merely as secondary to the World Cup. Furthermore, this argument implicitly privileges casual global viewers over dedicated club supporters who commit to weekly engagement—but regular domestic football represents a legitimate and valued form of sporting participation that shouldn't be sacrificed for the preferences of occasional tournament watchers.
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