A long journey full of feelings
1 month and 8 days is the journey of the final round. If calculated from the qualifying round, September 7, 2023 is the starting time. And further back is June 13, 2018, the time when the Canada - Mexico - USA alliance is awarded the right to host the 2026 World Cup. A lot of investment, a lot of preparation, going through 2 other World Cups interspersed is the ending point of the 32-team final round, to open the World Cup for the first time with 48 participating teams.
More teams, more matches, so the World Cup is exciting and sets more records for goals and spectators. Professional quality alone still causes controversy: some people like the old format to gather the elite, others think that this tournament shows that the gap between continents has narrowed.
After all, the feeling belongs to each person, including whether the tournament is successful or not. It is undeniable - and also inevitable - the problems that occur in any event or tournament. Teams, countries affected by certain problems look at the World Cup with a gloomy color, conversely, successful people enjoy it when they prove their strength and somewhere there is a resonance of luck.
Also because of this, the World Cup has drawn a not small part of the world into debate, controversy, debate, with enough emotions of joy, anger, love, hate, to express love for this team, hating that opponent. The interesting thing is that in the world of technology, AI and dizzying speed of spread, waves rise very quickly and fall just as quickly, and then wait for another wave with the same cycle.
Of course, the waves may dissipate, but data, information and events remain, waiting for an occasion to be "dug up again", once people feel that there is nothing fun left - or have not found anything - to stir up social networks.
Football is life
For those standing in a neutral, objective position, the 2026 World Cup is another opportunity to experience and contemplate from as many angles as possible. After all, football is also life, reflecting many things in life.
There, there are old values that exist to be respected, honored and appreciated - such as the presence of older stars such as: Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Guilermo Ochoa, Lionel Messi. There are new and unexpected things, bringing much hope - such as the first heroic presence of the Cabo Verde team, the courageous return of the Norwegian Viking warrior.
There are "good people, bad people" as the title of the movie "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" released exactly 60 years ago. The World Cup is a "fierce battlefield", each fighter present there chooses their own fighting style, protecting their own values, aiming for the same goal of the prestigious Golden Cup.
There, you see Argentina's matches as breathtaking gunfights, watch Spain as fast-paced and soaring music in director Sergio Leone's films. It is impossible not to admire the fighting spirit for survival of the Japanese team in the arena that is too strict with them. It is impossible not to be excited about the imprints left by Mexico and Morocco.
Of course, a certain feeling of disappointment for the fall of Germany, Brazil, Netherlands, Portugal when they should have done better...
It is difficult to tell everything, and it is not necessary to mention the issues that appeared at the 2026 World Cup. Consider that as part of the story, because life is like that, everything has 2 sides. Without bad, how can you know what is good? Without low, how can you know what high is?
Today, the 2026 World Cup is in the past, no matter what you say, it has been there, forever there. As people say: "Whatever happens in North America, leave it in North America", the joy or sadness brought back will quickly be wrapped up, to start the next journey.
4 years later, the 24th World Cup, will be much more interesting with 6 host countries and the number of participating teams may increase to 64.
