I have to admit, I had an absolute blast watching this World Cup over the past month.Usually, mid-July is a total graveyard for sports fans. You’re stuck suffering through the down, dragging "dog days" of summer with nothing on TV except middle-of-the-season baseball games and late-night reruns. Having elite, high-stakes international soccer completely take over June and July transformed what is normally a dull gap on the sports calendar into an absolute joy.In fact, this summer was further proof of a hot take I’ve held for a while: the NBA needs to shift its calendar, start its season on Christmas Day, and run the playoffs deep into the summer. Seeing how completely captivated the world was during July proves there is a massive, untapped appetite for premier live sports during the summer lull. If basketball took over June and July, it would own the sports universe.And I wasn’t the only one glued to the screen. The TV and streaming ratings for this tournament were higher than ever. Viewership records were completely shattered across global networks and streaming platforms, proving that when you put world-class soccer in front of fans during the summer, people tune in by the tens of millions.That said, as fun as the build-up and the early knockout rounds were, the final two games of the tournament left me with some pretty mixed feelings.After weeks of buildup, the World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina ended up being a complete letdown.For 120 minutes, the game was shockingly one-sided. Spain completely controlled the tempo, dictates the pitch, and looked like the vastly superior team from the opening whistle. Argentina looked completely overmatched, unable to string together meaningful attacks or handle Spain’s possession dominance. Ferran Torres eventually broke the deadlock in extra time for a deserved 1–0 Spanish victory, but the scoreline honestly made it look closer than it really was.
What made it worse was how Argentina handled the defeat. Rather than losing with dignity, their frustration boiled over into utter classlessness. Between late red cards, triggering an ugly post-match fight on the pitch, and turning their backs during the trophy presentation, it left a sour taste in everyone's mouth. It was an embarrassing end to what should have been a celebration of football.While a lot of casual fans and pundits raved about the 3rd place match between England and France as a "10-goal thriller," I completely disagree. To me, it wasn't high-quality football at all.
Sure, a 6–4 scoreline looks exciting on a stat sheet, but the game lacked any real competitive soul. Key starters were benched or missing entirely as managers treated it like a glorified friendly. The defensive intensity was practically non-existent, and you could tell by the players' body language that they weren't fully engaged. Just look at the reactions after goals were scored—there was minimal excitement or passion on the pitch. To top it off, having Kylian Mbappé pad his stats with two goals in a low-stakes, defenseless exhibition felt cheap. Using a glorified scrimmage to inflate the Golden Boot race cheapens what should be one of the most prestigious individual awards in sports. I truly think they should do away with this 3rd place game. Despite the flat finish in the final two fixtures, the tournament as a whole was a massive success. But honestly? The timing of the finale couldn't be more perfect.As the World Cup stage cleared, it handed the baton off to NFL training camps opening up across the country. We get to ride the high of a summer filled with global soccer straight into the return of football season—and as a sports fan, you really can't ask for anything better than that.
What made it worse was how Argentina handled the defeat. Rather than losing with dignity, their frustration boiled over into utter classlessness. Between late red cards, triggering an ugly post-match fight on the pitch, and turning their backs during the trophy presentation, it left a sour taste in everyone's mouth. It was an embarrassing end to what should have been a celebration of football.While a lot of casual fans and pundits raved about the 3rd place match between England and France as a "10-goal thriller," I completely disagree. To me, it wasn't high-quality football at all.
Sure, a 6–4 scoreline looks exciting on a stat sheet, but the game lacked any real competitive soul. Key starters were benched or missing entirely as managers treated it like a glorified friendly. The defensive intensity was practically non-existent, and you could tell by the players' body language that they weren't fully engaged. Just look at the reactions after goals were scored—there was minimal excitement or passion on the pitch. To top it off, having Kylian Mbappé pad his stats with two goals in a low-stakes, defenseless exhibition felt cheap. Using a glorified scrimmage to inflate the Golden Boot race cheapens what should be one of the most prestigious individual awards in sports. I truly think they should do away with this 3rd place game. Despite the flat finish in the final two fixtures, the tournament as a whole was a massive success. But honestly? The timing of the finale couldn't be more perfect.As the World Cup stage cleared, it handed the baton off to NFL training camps opening up across the country. We get to ride the high of a summer filled with global soccer straight into the return of football season—and as a sports fan, you really can't ask for anything better than that.