Departing Deschamps Looks Back on ‘Wonderful’ World Cup

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a message on X that she would attend the World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday at the invitation of US President Donald Trump along with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

"I considered it politically important that the three countries hosting the World Cup are involved, and it is also a sign of the strong coordination and ‌collaboration we ‌have with the US government," Sheinbaum ‌said.

The ⁠final World Cup ⁠match between Argentina and Spain caps a whirlwind five weeks of football games involving 48 teams that kicked off in Mexico City on June 11.

Sheinbaum previously said she would not attend any World Cup game in a show ⁠of solidarity with regular Mexicans who ‌could not afford tickets, ‌which ran into the thousands of dollars. Tickets to the ‌World Cup final are topping $10,000, driven ‌by FIFA’s transition to a dynamic pricing model.

The presence of Sheinbaum and Carney at the sporting event also comes amidst tense trade negotiations, as Mexico and ‌Canada seek to convince Trump to extend the trilateral North American trade agreement.

Sheinbaum has ⁠a ⁠cordial, if tense, relationship with Trump and has gone out of her way to avoid making comments or pushing policies that could anger him. The US-Canada relationship is more volatile, with Carney and Trump regularly trading barbs and tariff threats.

Trade negotiators from the United States and Mexico will convene in Mexico City on Tuesday for a third round of talks aimed at revamping the agreement, with key topics including steel, automotive, agriculture, and electronic payment systems.

It was supposed to be the World Cup weighed down by problems: sky-high prices, geopolitical tension, the shadow of conflict and the threat of brutal summer heat across the three host nations.

Instead, the biggest, most complex edition of football's showpiece ever staged will be remembered for simpler reasons: thrilling football and a feel-good factor that swept across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

With only Sunday's final between defending champions Argentina and Spain remaining, world governing body FIFA can already claim the tournament as a triumph.

Pre-tournament fears that the expansion to 48 teams -- among them a clutch of tiny debutants -- would lead to a dilution of quality proved unfounded.

Instead, the World Cup delivered its usual intoxicating cocktail of drama and footballing brilliance that swept away any lingering anxiety.

The Atlantic archipelago of Cape Verde held eventual finalists Spain to a shock goalless draw in their opening game, and would go on to rattle Lionel Messi's Argentina in the last 32 before losing 3-2 in extra-time.

Curacao, population 185,000, would earn a 0-0 draw with Ecuador.

Egypt reached the knockout rounds for the first time and came within a whisker of a stunning upset of Argentina, leading 2-0 with 11 minutes to go before eventually succumbing to Messi's magic.

The Egyptians and Cape Verde were among a record nine African teams who reached the knockout rounds, signaling the continent's continuing rise.

- Stars shine brightest -

At the other end of the football spectrum, the biggest stars all joined the party.

Messi, playing in his record sixth World Cup, announced his entrance with a dazzling hat-trick to open Argentina's campaign against Algeria.

With Sunday's final still to play, Messi is on eight goals, two behind tournament top-scorer Kylian Mbappe, the France captain, on 10.

Mbappe's tally leaves him on top of the all-time World Cup scoring charts with 22.

Norway's towering striker Erling Haaland rapidly emerged as a fan favorite, scoring seven goals including two in an upset of mighty Brazil in the last 16.

England's Jude Bellingham plundered seven goals while Harry Kane added six as the Three Lions finished in third place.

The three host nations -- Canada, Mexico and the United States -- all reached the last 16 before bowing out.

With 307 goals scored through 103 matches at an average of 2.98 goals per game, the 2026 tournament is the highest-scoring World Cup since the 1958 finals in Sweden, which averaged 3.6 goals per game.

- Packed houses -

The spellbinding drama played out before mostly packed houses -- albeit with a hefty price tag.

FIFA's decision to use "dynamic pricing" to determine ticket prices had been slammed by supporters' groups as a "monumental betrayal" before the tournament kicked off.

Yet when push came to shove, it did not deter fans from shelling out thousands of dollars for a piece of the action.

According to FIFA figures released before Saturday's third-place playoff won by England, the tournament attracted 6,665,825 spectators -- more than the combined total of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

Average attendance stands at 65,351 per match, with a stadium occupancy rate of 99.7%.

The revelry stretched far beyond the stadiums.

From Scotland's Tartan Army drinking bars dry in Boston to Norway's fans performing their signature "Viking row" en masse in Times Square, host cities were transformed into raucous, freewheeling carnival grounds.

In the United States, where the bulk of the tournament's 104 matches took place, overseas visitors took to social media to express their delight at aspects of Americana, whether it be cavernous supermarkets, oversized BBQ ribs or ranch dressing.

"The 2026 World Cup has become a global love fest for the US -- at a time when the rest of the world has plenty of reasons to dislike us," one baffled US commentator remarked.

- Trump controversy -

But while the exceptional quality of the football and the enthusiastic embrace of fans were the main takeaways, controversies did cast a shadow over parts of the tournament.

Somali referee Omar Artan became arguably the highest-profile casualty of President Donald Trump's hardline immigration crackdown, when he was denied entry to the United States.

US officials cited "vetting concerns" for the refusal to allow the official into the country.

Iran's squad were also made to suffer because of US government policies.

After relocating their base camp from Arizona to Mexico, Iranian players and team officials were angered by visa restrictions which left them scrambling to exit the US within hours of their games ending.

"I think we are the most oppressed team in the World Cup," Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei remarked bitterly after his team's opening game.

The most astonishing controversy though would involve hosts the United States, when it emerged that Trump had intervened personally with FIFA chief Gianni Infantino in order to have a one-game suspension against US striker Folarin Balogun delayed ahead of their knockout round clash with Belgium.

The extraordinary saga turned many neutrals against the hosts, and there was widespread jubilation when Belgium went on to record a thumping 4-1 victory.

While the scandal came as an embarrassment to FIFA chief Infantino, it is unlikely to jeopardize his chances of winning another term.

The powerful Asian, African and South American regional confederations have already pledged support for his re-election in 2027.

And Infantino is expected to use the success of the tournament as a mandate for further expansion, with the possibility of the 2030 finals becoming a 64-team tournament up for discussion.

England manager Thomas Tuchel said he ‌hoped his players would one day look back on finishing third at the World Cup with some pride, despite falling short of their goal of winning the tournament.

A 6-4 win over France in a frenetic third-place playoff at Miami Stadium on Saturday gave England their best finish at a World Cup since their only triumph when they hosted the tournament in 1966.

"It's the first medal for 60 years, the best World Cup on foreign soil. So I hope that the players can be proud of that in some time," he told reporters.

"We are fiercely competitive, so like we almost ‌don't allow ourselves ‌to be proud of the third place because ‌18 ⁠months ago we ⁠set ourselves the highest goal ... to make it to the final and win the World Cup.

"So it's very, very painful if you miss out. The pain will stay for a while."

Tuchel came in for heavy flak after England lost 2-1 to Argentina in the semi-finals on Wednesday, particularly because of what were viewed as his defensive tactics after his side took the ⁠lead early in the second half.

"The press conference yesterday ‌felt as if we went out in ‌the group stage without a win, to be very honest," the German said.

"The best ‌thing you can do is react on the pitch and get ‌the next win. Everything else is just talking, and talking doesn't get you points, and talking doesn't get you a win.

"I'm glad that we showed a reaction. We wanted that reaction, and it's very impressive."

Bukayo Saka's hat-trick for England on ‌Saturday inevitably raised a question about why the right winger was not played in the semi-final.

"It was a ⁠tough decision for ⁠me to leave him out of the semi-final," said Tuchel, who admitted he had been cautious with Saka because of the Achilles injury he had been managing for the last few months.

"I had the feeling that Morgan Rogers had something special to give to us with his physicality and his body in the match against Argentina.

"We had (Saka) warm up several times against Argentina. We were ready to change, but the game became so crazy that we in the end opted for a different option.

"But nothing has changed during the World Cup for me. Bukayo is a fantastic teammate, fantastic football player, key player for us, and that will not change. He showed it again today and I'm happy for him."

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