After more than 100 games across Canada, Mexico and the United States, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is coming to a close, cementing its legacy with highs, lows – and seemingly endless controversies.
“It’s been one of the most controversial World Cups. I think that’s fair,” said Alan McDougall, a history professor at the University of Guelph who has written several books on the history of soccer. “I don’t see it breaking the mold, but the arguments around it are widespread and very intense.”
There are many controversies that have covered the high scores in this tournament as experts say that FIFA, which was known for corruption in the past, makes it difficult for fans to trust the game.
Many of the decisions have fueled frustration on and off the field, including a US travel ban that has made it difficult for many fans and other players to attend games, exorbitant prices, hydration breaks and inconsistent use of the video assistant referee, known as VAR.
Then there is the relationship between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and US President Donald Trump.
CBC’s Jonathon Gatehouse explains how Gianni Infantino doubled the profits for the 2026 World Cup, and how much of that money ends up in the hands of organizations like Soccer Canada.
In December at the final draw for the World Cup, Infantino awarded the president with the first prize of peace – a very divisive move. Their relationship came under scrutiny after Trump successfully lobbied for the American player’s red card to be overturned ahead of the big game against Belgium. (The US ultimately lost the game.) Trump is also expected to award the world cup to the winner on Sunday.
“If the truth be told, FIFA is just shooting itself,” said Alan Koch, a South African-Canadian soccer coach who has worked in the Canadian Premier League, MLS and currently manages the University of Guelph men’s soccer team.
“Am I surprised by the frustration that comes through? Not at all to be brutally honest.”
“Once you set a precedent, you’re a prisoner of luck,” McDougall said of FIFA’s apparent willingness to lobby Trump. “Most controversies are a rough and tumble game, but because of this wider sporting situation – and FIFA’s blatant greed and corruption – fans are understandably losing trust.”
‘He changed the whole game’
One problem, experts say, is that FIFA’s decisions this year ended up changing the game, and possibly for the wrong reasons.
Take hydration breaks, which introduce a three-minute break between each segment. FIFA maintains that the breaks are meant to help players cope with high temperatures, but observers are skeptical.
“If they were made for the welfare of the players, we would all support that. But it’s not; it’s done for commercial reasons,” said Koch.
“It changed the whole game. It took a two-period game into four periods,” Koch said. “The results have changed. The teams and coaches who are used to these extra breaks are the ones who do the best.”
The match scheduled at half-time in the final between Spain and Argentina will also change the pace of the game by extending the 15-minute break between the two halves.
“There’s a lot they’ve done that has challenged the structure and integrity of the game,” said McDougall.
FIFA did not respond to CBC News’ request for comment by press time. But the organization has defended itself against all competition, repeatedly justifying ticket prices by saying they compare to other US sports shows and the profits will help grow soccer (or soccer) internationally.
FIFA also defended the suspension of the American player’s red card by saying that the decision was made by an independent disciplinary committee. On Saturday, Arsène Wenger, the former Arsenal manager who is now FIFA’s head of global football development, said the organization would analyze the impact of the water breaks.
Political disagreements have long been part of the tournament’s history. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini used the 1934 FIFA World Cup to showcase his fascist regime, turning the tournament into a propaganda tool. In 1978, Argentina’s then-dictatorship did the same.
Most recently, Qatar has been accused of human rights violations when hosting the tournament in 2022, among other concerns.
CBC Sports’ Donnovan Bennett writes this story about the chaos that was the 2026 World Cup, and how, despite all its flaws, it brought people together.
But this year, social media has been flooded with memes and posts questioning the integrity of all sports. One of the many posts following Egypt’s 3-2 loss to Argentina in the Round of 16, many fans and the Egyptian coach, who said they believe the referee was wrongly appointed.
“I think the fans’ confidence is completely gone now,” Christina Unkel, British broadcaster ITV’s World Cup rules analyst and former FIFA referee, told Reuters. “I’ve covered major tournaments in this capacity and as a referee and I’ve never seen the level of chatter – not just on social media.”
Many have even accused FIFA of rigging the 2026 World Cup on behalf of Argentina, using the now-used name “VARgentina” to suggest that the country is benefiting more than others from a call made by officials. (We should point out that similar memes have been used by football fans to describe opposing teams, such as “VARsenal” to refer to Arsenal or “LiVARpool” to refer to Liverpool in the English Premier League.)
“I think that goes a long way,” Koch said. “If you look back at the whole World Cup, every team that won had luck on their side and managed the games better.”
‘FIFA is testing our patience at the moment’
Still, Koch says there are many reasons for people to feel overwhelmed, including Infantino’s presence at every game — something that inspires fans at several games.
“How much money does FIFA spend? You don’t need to be at every single game,” said Koch. “The carbon footprint from his flight is astronomical. FIFA is not helping themselves; the decisions are giving it a bad name.”
A FIFA representative previously told BBC Sport that Infantino “travels regularly, together with the relevant officials, on business and competition matters and strives to visit FIFA member organizations whenever he can.”
FIFA has not said whether it will end bans related to such travel.
The tournament was undoubtedly full of viral emotions: Norway’s Erling Haaland became a star; Lionel Messi scored his first World Cup hat trick; Canada announced itself as a soccer nation, making it to the playoffs for the first time; and Cape Verde’s goalkeeper, Vozhina, helped his underdog team to a draw against Spain, a football powerhouse now set to play in Sunday’s final against champions Argentina.
But questions remain about whether this year’s controversies will close the game going forward.
“FIFA is testing our patience at the moment,” McDougall said.
In terms of football, I think it was a very good tournament,” he said. “Is there a point where FIFA skips it? Or is the ball too big to fail?
“This tournament puts that to the test…. Maybe we are reaching a high level, but football is strong.”
