The article's author expresses sharp criticism of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), asserting that the organization is unreformable and requires complete replacement. FIFA President Gianni Infantino called the World Cup 'the greatest event humanity has ever seen,' predicting that FIFA will earn about $13 billion over the next four years concluding with this tournament, with nearly $9 billion coming from the current year alone.
In comparison, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games generated only about $5.24 billion. FIFA's main revenue source remains global television rights, which are projected to increase from $3.4 billion in Qatar to $3.1 billion in Russia. The second most significant source is ticket sales and hospitality, generating around $3 billion, a substantial increase from the $950 million earned in Qatar.
The author notes that FIFA traditionally held control over the host nations of the World Cup. As a South African resident, he has long spoken out about corruption within FIFA, pointing to suspicious activities, although some initiatives, such as FIFA Courts, could be useful for resolving other issues after the 2010 World Cup. However, hosting the tournament in the USA showed that corrupt politics triumphed over sports business administrators.
The 2026 World Cup demonstrated FIFA's true face: an organization not guided by principles of fairness regarding race, gender, or other regions like Asia and Africa. It became clear that money dominates this structure, allowing some players to escape while others recover from the same offenses. The author emphasizes the existence of double standards, where 'beautiful play is increasingly played in the boardroom while compliant press and officials stand aside.'
In the match between Egypt and Argentina, despite leading 2–0, Egypt lost 3–2. Although some commentators doubted the quality of the refereeing, they stated it was unsatisfactory for both teams. Consequently, Egypt's coach Hossam Hassan issued a statement on the situation in Palestine, calling it 'a stain on the conscience of the world' and urging the public to support the rights of the Palestinian people.
Hassan has repeatedly supported Palestine, and before the Egypt-Iran match, both teams displayed Palestinian flags without facing sanctions, unlike Lamine Yamal earlier this year. Hassan appealed to the world, stating that those who do not feel the suffering of the Palestinian people have lost part of their humanity. He urged those in positions of power to imagine themselves in the conditions lived by people in Gaza and Palestine, away from shelters and in extreme weather conditions.
However, Hassan's gesture provoked a more detrimental reaction from Israel than the reaction to dissidents like Lamine Yamal. Immediately before the Egypt-Argentina match, an Israeli strike in Gaza killed a high-ranking Palestinian aid official and Mohamed Al-Wahidi, an employee of the Egyptian aid agency in Gaza. According to local health officials, this killing brought the total number of casualties since the ceasefire to 1084, including nine killed in shelling and clashes in Gaza just on Wednesday.
Egypt felt marginalized. Hany Abou Rida, president of the Egyptian Football Association, stated that they filed a complaint with FIFA demanding an investigation into the errors of referee Francois Lissether and the double standards that led to Egypt's defeat. The EFA expressed anger over 'obvious mistakes' and the refusal to review certain footage, demanding the exclusion of the referee and the entire crew from the World Cup following an investigation, and accused them of 'criminal discrimination against the Egyptian national team.' Zico, a scorer, noted that 'the referee was truly unfair. The injustice was obvious.'
Another qualifying match was also affected by political interference, where Donald Trump allegedly spoke directly with FIFA President Infantino. FIFA used Article 27 to justify reducing the suspension period of Folarin Balogun, allowing him to play against Belgium. This same article allows FIFA judicial bodies to suspend disciplinary measures for a period of one to four years in exceptional circumstances.
Similarly, this provision was used to shorten Cristiano Ronaldo's three-match ban to one match. This decision, made according to FIFA rules, draws widespread condemnation as blatant favoritism towards the tournament's most famous star. The situation arose after Ronaldo visited the White House with Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, raising questions about political influence. The article states that such a lenient approach has not been applied to other players because the FIFA decision has no precedent and appears aimed at ensuring Ronaldo's participation in what is likely his last World Cup at age 41.
The author points out a pattern: exceptions are made only for those at the top, not for the marginalized. Many believe Balogun was wrongly suspended, but the main problem lies in overturning referee decisions after a fact or winning disputes in boardrooms. Something similar happened at the Africa Cup of Nations, where Morocco was declared champion instead of Senegal, who won on the day of the match. Belgium reacted to the decision allowing Balogun to play with surprise, stating its intention to defend 'the legitimate rights of all participating teams and ensure the fundamental principles of fair play.' The author again questions why there were no protests when injustice was done to Iran.
The silence of the media and society regarding FIFA machinations, particularly involving Infantino and Trump, is also noted. Trump was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize without the consent of FIFA members, and subsequently, he was able to rent housing to his brother. A fact is that US President Trump convinced FIFA to move to his Trump Tower in New York. Discussions of insider trading, nepotism, and poor management are only part of the problem.
In the Egypt-Argentina match, referee Francois Lissether reviewed the play too long after Egypt's goal. When Egypt led 1–0 in the second half, VAR disallowed Mostafa Zico's goal after Marwan Attia was penalized for tripping Lisandro Martínez. Egypt's coach Hossam Hassan expressed disappointment, making an 'X' shape with his hands—FIFA's official anti-racism gesture—to condemn the hypocrisy of racism in the game. Instead of activating the anti-discrimination protocol, Lissether gave him a yellow card.
The author believes that African teams should not rely on referees to maintain a 2–0 lead, citing Senegal and Egypt. While the author believes the referee and VAR made mistakes, Egypt quickly restored the score to 2–0. However, football is mentality and belief. When Argentina started their attack, Messi began to play, whom commentator Barney Rooney called a 'generous genius' who elevates those around him.
Egypt had no plan to stop the onslaught, although they also protested a potential foul on Mohamed Salah in the Argentine penalty area shortly before the champions scored the winning goal in stoppage time. The author does not believe it was a penalty. Even if the goal had been counted, Argentina could have fought back, as they hit the crossbar around the 60th minute. After the goal was disallowed, Argentina scored, and for the first time believed in the possibility of a comeback, which brought them the victory, although the author doubts their ability to win the World Cup.
Finally, the author criticizes the media, noting that publications like La Vanguardia were ecstatic about Messi's brilliance, completely ignoring Egypt's legitimate claims. Barcelona sports press, such as Sport and Mundo Deportivo, praised the game, describing Egypt's disallowed goal as a 'light trip on Lisandro,' thereby underestimating the situation.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has shown dramatic results in the knockout stages, including unexpected exits and decisive penalty shootouts. During this tournament, Paraguay became a sensation for Germany, Morocco defeated the Netherlands in a penalty shootout, and Brazil beat Japan in the Round of 32.
For many decades, the World Cup reinforced the established hierarchy in football. Although rare upsets always attracted attention to the tournament, traditionally, the sport's superpowers restored order after reaching the playoffs. However, the current World Cup presents a different picture.
Even if the giants remain favorites for the trophy, advancing to the later stages is becoming an increasingly difficult process. Now, every match in the playoffs carries a real threat that an established nation could be eliminated by a team previously considered an underdog.
Morocco's victory over the Netherlands in a penalty shootout and Germany's defeat by Paraguay were among the biggest shocks in the Round of 32, but they were not isolated incidents. Two teams with rich football traditions and high ambitions were forced to leave the tournament much earlier than expected, highlighting the severity of this competition.
Even when favorites advance, they rarely enjoy peace. England was heavily beaten by the Democratic Republic of Congo before winning 2-1. Belgium managed to pass a tense 3-2 match against Senegal, and Brazil had to put in significant effort to beat Japan by the same score.
Perhaps the most significant change is that what surprises now is not the inability of so-called 'minors' to compete with football heavyweights. Instead, every playoff match is viewed as a genuine contest, regardless of pedigree or world ranking, as traditional powers increasingly realize that complacency can be fatal.
These changes are not caused by just a few memorable results. The globalization of football has gradually narrowed the gap between the elite and the rest of the teams. Players from countries previously considered secondary now regularly play in major European leagues, gaining invaluable experience facing world-class players every week.
Improvements in coaching standards, tactical sophistication, sports science, and player development have also significantly improved across all continents. As a result, traditional powers can no longer rely solely on talent superiority to suppress opponents. Organization, athleticism, and tactical discipline have become powerful leveling factors, and the expanded World Cup with 48 teams has given more nations the opportunity to gain valuable tournament experience and, more importantly, real self-confidence.
The ripple effects are already being felt in the playoff bracket. Germany's early exit gave France an unexpected match against a motivated Paraguayan side in the Round of 16, and Morocco's victory over the Netherlands guarantees that either Atlas Lions or Canada will reach the quarterfinals.
Even more surprises may await as the remaining Round of 32 matches conclude, when tournament debutants Cape Verde attempt what might be the biggest upset by facing reigning champions Argentina on Friday. While it remains unknown whether another giant will fall, this World Cup has already changed the mentality of both favorites and underdogs. Big names will likely still contend for the final, but they can no longer count on a safe passage through the playoff rounds. The old order in football has not been destroyed, but it has rarely looked so vulnerable.
