For anyone just tuning in, the expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup has delivered five weeks of dramatic swings, culminating in a final Sunday in New Jersey between Spain and defending champion Argentina, according to the recap.
Lionel Messi has been the tournament’s defining figure. The Argentina forward, who turned 39 during the competition, pushed La Albiceleste into a second consecutive World Cup final while topping his statistical output from the 2022 tournament. Messi led both the goal and assist charts and carried his team through the bracket, even as other modern superstars such as France’s Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise, Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior, and England’s Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane saw their tournaments end earlier, according to the recap.
The tournament also served as what many dubbed a “Last Dance” for a group of veteran stars. Several players approaching 40 — including Cristiano Ronaldo and Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, each appearing at a sixth World Cup — were among those expected to be near the end of their international careers. Others on that list included Neymar, Son Heung-Min, Kevin De Bruyne, Manuel Neuer and Luka Modric. Many of those veterans departed in emotional circumstances: Neymar was reduced to tears after Norway eliminated Brazil in the round of 16 but later appeared at a Las Vegas poker event, while Ronaldo cried after Portugal fell to Spain. Ronaldo’s tournament featured only a couple of largely superfluous goals against Uzbekistan in the group stage, and the recap noted an odd statistical detail that three goalkeepers completed more successful dribbles than him.
There has also been a record number of goals scored at this World Cup, a trend partly credited to the expanded format. The field increase from 32 to 48 teams and the added knockout round raised the match total from 64 games in 2022 to 104 this tournament, according to the recap.
Alongside Messi’s exploits, the tournament featured underdog upsets and noteworthy performances from the United States men’s national team, all setting the stage for the final showdown between Spain and the defending champions.
