The 2026 FIFA World Cup has drawn to a close, with Spain beating Argentina by 1-0 in extra time in a thrilling final at the New York/New Jersey Stadium on Sunday.
As HuffPost has for weeks breathlessly covered, even before a ball was kicked, the 23rd edition of the tournament was engulfed in controversy: from Iran’s tough journey to the competition amid Donald Trump’s war, to the president’s close relationship with FIFA’s Peace Prize-awarding President Gianni Infantino. That’s not to mention Trump’s travel bans keeping some fans and officials out and the fury over soaring ticket prices.
Once the soccer actually began, much of the concern was eased — at least for a short while. The sport’s biggest stars came out to play, and the Cape Verde’s Cinderella story captured the imagination. Off the field, Norway’s “Viking row” went viral and Boston was a sea of tartan as Scotland’s fans took over.
But the introduction of hydration breaks, seen as a vehicle for TV advertising, prompted booing from fans and questions about the fundamentals of the game being undermined. And Trump’s intervention in an effort to get a red card reversed for U.S. forward Folarin Balogun, which was fruitless, as the Americans were soundly defeated by Belgium, will likely leave a stain on this World Cup.
Check out our coverage below:
Protesters To Show Trump, Infantino Red Cards At World Cup Final
Protesters are taking on Donald Trump and his peace prize-awarding buddy, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, by encouraging soccer fans attending Sunday’s World Cup final to show red cards in the crowd when the U.S. president presents the trophy to the winning team.
Volunteers with a coalition of artists, organizers and advocacy groups will hand out thousands of mock red cards to fans at locations near the site of — and at major transit hubs servicing routes to — New York-New Jersey Stadium, where Argentina will take on Spain in the final, per a press release.
The cards, according to a website on the coalition’s efforts, look to target Trump over his “political corruption and abuse of the presidency.”
The site refers to Trump as an “aspiring dictator with an offensive pattern of corruption who has interfered in the World Cup over and over again” before accusing Infantino of trying to appease his pal by presenting him with the FIFA Peace Prize ahead of the tournament.
Infantino is also criticized for not intervening when the Trump administration “harassed” teams such as Iran, who — on top of travel restrictions placed on the squad’s fans and personnel — were forced to relocated their base from Arizona to Mexico just before games got underway.
The coalition slams Infantino for bending to Trump when the U.S. president directly called him to ask for a review of a controversial red card against American striker Folarin Balogun in the round of 32.
“In soccer, the referee shows a red card to remove someone who has no place on the field. On Sunday, we put that power in the hands of the crowd: tens of thousands of fans, one gesture, broadcast to over a billion people: You don’t belong on this field,” the coalition’s site reads.
The coalition is composed of several groups, including Contra-ICE, a collective of artists and musicians involved in a distribution of “ICE OUT” flags to fans outside the Super Bowl earlier this year.
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Spain Now Rules Both Men’s And Women’s World Soccer
Spain’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in Sunday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup final capped the 39-day tournament across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The win means Spain now holds both the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cup titles, after the women’s team triumphed in Australia and New Zealand in 2023.
Spain’s women’s team will defend their crown at the next Women’s World Cup in Brazil, which begins on June 24, 2027.
The men will defend their title at the 2030 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco ― with opening matches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay to mark the tournament’s centenary.
Before then, Spain’s next major international tournament will be Euro 2028, held across England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland, starting June 9.
Spain’s World Cup Champions Head Home For Royal Welcome And Parade Through Madrid
Spain’s World Cup-winning team is set to return to Spain on Monday afternoon, where the squad will be greeted by the Spanish royal palace and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez before boarding an open-top bus for a parade through central Madrid in the evening.
Throngs of fans are expected to greet them as they travel from near Moncloa Palace, the prime minister’s official residence, to Cibeles Square.
A ceremony with the players will then be held at the square, where previous Spanish national teams and their supporters have traditionally gathered to celebrate.
Spain walked off with the trophy at Sunday’s final after defeating now-dethroned champion Argentina 1-0 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It was only the second time — after a 2010 victory in South Africa — that Spain won the title.
The Spanish capital erupted into celebrations after the final whistle, with thousands of supporters pouring into the streets from bars and restaurants, many draped in Spanish flags or wearing the team’s colors.
Crowds packed Madrid’s Puerta de Sol and other major squares — singing, dancing and setting off flares while car horns blared throughout the capital.
Many celebrated Sunday’s victory long into the wee hours of Monday morning.
“I’m very happy. I’ve slept three or four hours, but for the team, I’ll do whatever it takes,” said 19 year-old Victor Álvarez early Monday.
The World Cup title, combined with the Women’s World Cup won by Spain in 2023, makes the European nation the first to hold both the men’s and women’s titles simultaneously.
Celebrations were dampened, however, after local authorities reported that a 13-year old in Salamanca, northwest of Madrid, had died after a fountain he had climbed onto with friends celebrate had collapsed.
For many young Spanish supporters, the triumph is their first time witnessing the men’s team lift the trophy — and the national delirium that has followed.
Ahead of the team’s return, supporters waited in Madrid’s Barajas airport ready to greet them in an arrivals hall, many donning the team’s jerseys and waving Spanish flags.
Groups of supporters also began securing their spots near Cibeles Square late Monday morning, bringing umbrellas to protect against the sun and temperatures that are expected to climb to 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit).
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Javier Bardem Says He's 'Very Proud' Of This Spain-Trump World Cup Final Move
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Ivanka Trump's World Cup Photos Get The Red Card From Critics
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Donald Trump's Sports ‘Curse' Trends Again After World Cup Final
Social media users joked on Sunday that Donald Trump’s infamous sports curse had struck once again after Spain beat Argentina in the World Cup final.
Teenager Dies In Spain During World Cup Celebrations
A 13-year-old died and two people were injured when a fountain partially collapsed in western Spain in the early hours on Monday, marring mass celebrations of the country’s second-ever soccer World Cup victory, emergency services said.
Trump-Allied FIFA President Racked Up Truly Staggering Number Of Air Miles At World Cup
FIFA President Gianni Infantino got some serious air time over the course of the 2026 World Cup, the tournament’s most far-flung edition ever. He crisscrossed North America for matches, meetings and other appearances during the competition, which took place in three countries, 16 cities and four time zones, and ended with Sunday’s final in New Jersey.
World Cup Player Appears To Snub Trump During Medal Ceremony
President Donald Trump was on hand to give out medals and handshakes to both the winners and losers of Sunday’s World Cup final at MetLife Stadium as Spain beat Argentina, 1-0.
But at least one player seemed to want nothing to do with the president.
Source: HuffPost
