Is the World Cup still fun?

As the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup draws closer, football fans are increasingly nostalgic for past historic summers, accompanied by a slight unease – it seems this year's World Cup won't be as "fun" as previous ones.

The world has changed a lot, and so has the World Cup. The global football festival is still fun, but it's no longer the same as in our memories of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. - Photo: AFP

Never before has the World Cup been so vast, with 48 teams spread across three different countries (USA, Canada, Mexico). But never before has the planet's number one football festival been mired in doubt, controversy, and instability.

The initial skepticism stemmed from the Americans' own passion for soccer. American sports commentators have a popular saying: "Americans are always the best in the world at every sport except the one that the whole world plays."

Americans aren't just not good at soccer, they're not even passionate about it, at least not compared to American football, basketball, baseball, tennis... Over the past 20 years, David Beckham and then Lionel Messi have come and stirred up the atmosphere in Major League Soccer (MLS).

The results are certainly positive, but still not enough to propel MLS into the billion-dollar arena like the NBA (basketball) or NFL (American football).

But there's also a fact that football fans should know: when it comes to attendance at World Cups, the United States usually ranks first, excluding the host nation.

The most striking example is the 2018 World Cup – a tournament where the US national team didn't even qualify.

You may also like

The opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup has concluded, and the tournament is ready for exciting competition.The colorful opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup concluded at the Azteca Stadium (Mexico), marking the beginning of the world's biggest football event.

50 years of Ho Chi Minh City: Experts propose 4 recommendations for Ho Chi Minh City to achieve breakthroughs.At the scientific conference "50 Years of Ho Chi Minh City: Historical Milestones, Development Aspirations and Institutional Breakthroughs" organized by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee on June 25th, Dr. Tran Du Lich presented four strategic recommendations aimed at reshaping the city's growth model in the new era.

Analysis of Paraguay and Australia: No turning back.Analysis of the Paraguay vs. Australia match in the final round of Group D at the 2026 World Cup, taking place at 9:00 AM on June 26th (Vietnam time).

But then in Russia, a total of nearly 89,000 out of 2.4 million tickets sold in the group stage were bought by Americans, ranking second only to the home fans. Brazil, a football-obsessed nation, came in third with 72,500 tickets, followed by Germany, Argentina, and others. This statistic only accounts for the group stage, where each team played three matches.

Americans aren't usually football fans, but why are they leading the way in ticket purchases for the world's biggest sporting event? The answer is simple: because Americans are... rich.

At the 2022 World Cup, Forbes magazine reported that the minimum cost for a 5-day trip to Qatar to enjoy the World Cup was approximately $5,000.

Americans may not be huge soccer fans – even with Messi playing weekly in MLS – but at a multi-billion dollar economic extravagance, Americans certainly can't be absent.

And when FIFA wanted to expand the World Cup to 48 teams, the United States – along with the alliance of Canada and Mexico – was the ideal location.

The United States – a superpower in economics, technology, and entertainment – ​​is expected by FIFA to successfully host this historic World Cup. Furthermore, fans are promised a truly "American-style World Cup," similar to how the world's number one superpower organizes its billion-dollar sporting events.

But the World Cup is more than just that. When FIFA increased the size to 48 teams, their calculations went beyond a five-week football festival; they aimed for a comprehensive competition spanning three to four years.

It's a qualifying race – where even a footballing nation like Indonesia can experience the anticipation, excitement, and drama right up to the very last minute of the qualifying phase.

You may also like

Neymar and the tears in Miami: An emotional comeback after 981 days of waiting.Brazil's greatest goalscorer in history has officially returned to the World Cup pitch after a grueling recovery from an ACL injury, marking a milestone in his participation in four World Cups.

The opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup was spectacular and vibrant in the US and Canada.(Dan Tri Newspaper) - The two opening ceremonies of the 2026 World Cup in the US and Canada on the morning of June 13th made a strong impression on fans with their lively and vibrant atmosphere.

Many areas will receive much-needed rain after a series of days with extreme heat.From June 26th, the widespread heatwave will end in the Northern region, while the Central region is forecast to experience prolonged heat for several more days. However, according to the National Center for Meteorological and Hydrological Forecasting, after the hot weather in the morning and afternoon, there is a possibility of "golden rain" in many areas tonight and tomorrow night, helping to reduce the temperature after the peak of the heatwave.

In FIFA's strategy, the "World Cup" today is a four-year competitive cycle where 200 football nations worldwide participate.

For Jordan, Uzbekistan, or Curacao, simply being in the World Cup is a victory in itself.

The world has changed a lot, and so has the World Cup. The global football festival is still fun, but it's no longer the same as it was in our memories of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s...

Back to the topic

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/world-cup-co-con-vui-20260611082412679.htm