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From record-breaking performances to off-field controversies, the 2026 FIFA World Cup had it all. Join us as we break down the highs and lows of football's biggest tournament, covering everything from viral fan moments and stunning debuts to ticket price scandals and inconsistent refereeing decisions. Who impressed you the most this summer?
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00:00In terms of scoring in World Cup Finals, you are looking at the greatest.
00:07Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're exploring the best and the worst things to happen during the 2026 FIFA World
00:12Cup.
00:13We'll explore on-pitch and off-field controversies, sporting excellence, and viral moments that left a lasting impression on football
00:19fans.
00:19It's all about the supporters coming together to support the team.
00:25Confusing, the halftime show.
00:26Before we kick off with our official moments, we'd be remiss to exclude the most bizarre moment from the 2026
00:32World Cup, its shiny new halftime show.
00:41With a star-studded lineup including Shakira, BTS, Justin Bieber, Madonna, Coldplay, and The Muppets, because why not?
00:47What could possibly go wrong?
00:57Well, the 11-minute performance was way too jam-packed and dissonant to have any significant impact, and it left
01:03many viewers feeling mixed at best.
01:05Plus, being a new addition to the tradition of the World Cup, some sports fans were displeased at the major
01:09disruption to the already tense final game.
01:12All the world is warm events.
01:15We dance, we dance, we dance, we dance!
01:18Wrong.
01:19The ticket prices.
01:20With FIFA using dynamic pricing for tickets.
01:23With the price increases with demand, it was heavily criticized for turning what's seen as a sport for everyone into
01:27one for the wealthy.
01:28For a while now, fans have been complaining about the sky-high ticket prices, and alleging that they've been scammed.
01:36FIFA was selling the most expensive seat for the final at nearly $11,000.
01:40For comparison, the 2022 final was around $1,600.
01:43FIFA's president Gianni Infantino defended the prices, claiming the group reinvests the
01:48money into football globally.
01:49On FIFA's ticket reselling site, where the group collects 15% of the fee from the seller
01:54and buyer, some final tickets were listed for as much as $2.3 million.
01:58Fans who purchased their tickets on StubHub also reported problems, with their seats being
02:02canceled, causing fans to issue a lawsuit against the company.
02:05All of that is going to be looked into to see if consumers were exploited and manipulated.
02:12Right, welcoming the nations.
02:13One of the best parts of the World Cup is when nations open their arms for other teams.
02:17After Iran faced difficulties in the U.S., more on that later, the squad had to relocate
02:21its training camp to Tijuana, Mexico.
02:23This is where Iran say their new team base will be during the World Cup.
02:28Instead of Arizona as originally planned, they've opted to stay in the Mexican border city, Tijuana.
02:33The neighborhood immediately made Iran welcome.
02:36Lawrence, Kansas, was so delighted that Algeria had its camp there that the university band
02:40serenaded the team with its national anthem.
02:43Scotland's Tartan Army became one of the most beloved fan groups with their escapades.
02:47It's safe to say the Tartan Army are well settled into their new home of Boston.
02:52On top of drinking Boston dry, playing bagpipes, and going to Fenway Park, the fans raised thousands
02:57of dollars for local causes.
02:58Understandably, the governor of Massachusetts, Maura Healey, quickly stated her desire for
03:03the Tartan Army's return.
03:04I think we saw through this experience that Massachusetts, as we welcome the world, Scotland
03:09is a place that also welcomes and embraces the world.
03:13And we loved, loved the experience.
03:15So here's to that lasting partnership between Scotland and Massachusetts.
03:19We're going to find ways to continue to work together, to celebrate together.
03:23Wrong.
03:24The U.S.'s treatment of Iran.
03:25Tensions reached a breaking point in 2026 when the U.S. and Israel went to war with Iran.
03:29This escalation comes as the World Cup begins, and Iran's national team is set to play here
03:35in Los Angeles on Monday, raising the prospect an already politically charged environment
03:41could heat up.
03:42Considering the States was one of the co-hosts of the World Cup, which Iran's team had qualified
03:46for, everyone was wondering what would happen.
03:48While Iran contemplated withdrawing from the tournament, they eventually took part.
03:52The one question that does remain is their visas.
03:55Last week, some members of the squad attended appointments at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara
03:59in Turkey, where they are currently based for training.
04:02Yet it didn't get any easier.
04:03On top of some of the team's staff being denied visas to enter the U.S., Iran also had to
04:07relocate
04:08its camp from Arizona to Mexico.
04:09Following Iran's elimination, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen stated he
04:14did a happy dance in celebration.
04:15As a result, Iran's staff and players have publicly condemned their treatment by the U.S.
04:19Well, despite the disappointment of elimination, supporters praised the players for their resilience
04:24in what many described as one of the most difficult World Cup campaigns in the country's
04:29history.
04:30Right.
04:30Many World Cup firsts.
04:32Curacao, Cape Verde, Uzbekistan and Jordan all made their debuts in international football's
04:37tournament.
04:37Amazingly, each of them managed to score their first goals at the World Cup.
04:50Yet Curacao and Cape Verde went further by securing their first ever points.
04:54While not debutantes, Canada as a co-host lifted the nation by getting their first World Cup
04:58win.
04:59After hosting the 2022 edition and losing every match, Qatar secured their first point in
05:032026.
05:04What an ending!
05:05It was a superb cross in and Hokey was on the end of it to make it 1-1 with
05:12just seconds
05:12left.
05:13DR Congo, making their second appearance, scored their first goal and won their first match
05:17at the World Cup.
05:18Finally, another first, albeit not a celebrated one, was Paraguay's Miguel Almiron being sent
05:23off due to a newly introduced rule prohibiting players from covering their mouths when speaking
05:27in confrontations.
05:37Feeling inspired after all those World Cup firsts and want to try something new?
05:40Then we strongly suggest experiencing our WatchMojo's 24-7 live stream for some pop culture
05:45fun.
05:45Scan the QR code on screen to join us live for non-stop entertainment.
05:54Wrong.
05:55The racist incidents.
05:56While most fans acted adorably during the World Cup, not everyone did.
05:59Despite being an international tournament, some decided to go against the heart of the
06:02event and deploy racist behaviors.
06:04The FIFA World Cup has been marred by reports of racism in recent weeks, from controversial
06:09punditry, to accusations of xenophobia in the stands, to the abuse of players on the pitch.
06:14In one match, a Mexican fan was recorded by South Korean influencer Yoon Soo-jin making
06:19a racist gesture at her.
06:20After the Netherlands was eliminated by Morocco on penalties, some of the Dutch players received
06:24racist abuse online.
06:25It is true that Dutch players have reported receiving racist abuse online after the loss
06:31against Morocco.
06:34When influencer iShow Speed was live streaming at matches, he recorded racist abuse from
06:38Argentina supporters directed towards him.
06:40Even locals couldn't escape the bigoted behavior.
06:42Multiple Indian American communities have reported having racist comments and slurs thrown at them.
06:46Finally, Paraguayan politician Celeste Amarija was condemned for her racist comments about
06:51France's Kylian Mbappe.
06:52Mbappe has received swift support from the French Football Federation, who says it's
06:58filed a report with the public prosecutor's office and is exploring possible legal avenues.
07:04Right, the record-breaking tournament.
07:05Since 2014, Germany's Miroslav Klose held the accolade of being the men's top goal scorer
07:10in World Cup history with 16.
07:12We have a World Cup record supplied by Miroslav Klose at goal number 16.
07:22However, records are made to be broken, and that one was smashed in 2026 by Lionel Messi
07:26and also Kylian Mbappe.
07:28The Argentinian forward set multiple new World Cup records, including the oldest player to
07:32score a hat-trick, and the first to score in seven consecutive games.
07:35It's swept in, and of course it's Lionel Messi!
07:39Another record-breaker was Curaçao's goalkeeper, Eloy Roome.
07:43Against Ecuador, he made 15 saves more than any other keeper in history within 90 minutes.
07:47Only the U.S.'s Tim Howard made more, but it took extra time and he conceded, unlike Roome.
07:51Overall, while there were more matches, the 2026 tournament has seen the most goals in its history.
07:56It's 2-1 England, Benny Gamsara once again, on the follow-up, Walken Rogers' shot.
08:03Wrong.
08:04The saga of Omar Artan.
08:05One of Africa's best referees, Artan was set to work at the World Cup, writing his name
08:10and its history by being the first Somali national to be selected as a ref.
08:13I'm very much excited, and for me it's an honor to be the first Somali to go there,
08:19and I hope I will do fantastic there.
08:22Yet despite having a valid visa and a diplomatic passport,
08:25when Artan arrived at Miami International Airport, he was detained by Border Patrol.
08:29After 11 hours of interrogation, he was denied entry into the U.S.
08:32Reports emerged that U.S.'s officials had alleged that Artan had ties to extremist groups, which he denied.
08:37I spoke to him two times as soon as yesterday.
08:41He told me that he has not got, this time, any clarification that has been provided yet from the U
08:49.S.
08:50why he was not entering the United States.
08:53The outrage over Artan's treatment led UEFA, Europe's football authority,
08:56to appoint him the referee for the 2026 UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa.
09:02With FIFA seemingly embarrassed, they stated Artan would get his full World Cup pay.
09:06FIFA has supported me well, and they have been following my journey closely up till now.
09:10I promise you that in the upcoming matches, I will go further and leave a positive mark.
09:16Somalia is ours, whether things are good or bad.
09:20I want to tell our youth not to lose hope in our country.
09:23Right, Norway's Viking row.
09:24Not since the days of Iceland's Viking thunderclap taken the footballing world by storm in 2016
09:29have we witnessed a choreographed chant capturing fans' passion everywhere.
09:32It was just a warm-up where every Icelandic can get together, warm-up and sing a few songs before
09:38the game.
09:42Yeah, just got us closer together before the match.
09:44For some, Viking row may be even more popular.
09:47After all, thousands of people took part at the stadiums as the players led the procession.
09:51Get away from the pitch, supporters flooded into New York City's Times Square
09:54and throughout the Oslo streets to row together.
09:56It's going back to the Vikings, so I think it's like the perfect chant for Norway.
10:02The viral movement spread into non-football areas as Norway's politicians mimicked it while inside parliament,
10:07and even the country's royal family got involved.
10:10And with their team making Norway proud, we probably won't see the end of the row for a long time.
10:21Wrong. Inconsistent red cards.
10:22Leading into the 2026 World Cup, Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo was meant to serve a suspension
10:27after being sent off during qualification.
10:29He should not be playing in the first two games of the World Cup
10:32because he got a red card for violent conduct.
10:35That is a three-game ban.
10:37He's already missed the game against Armenia, so he should not be playing the first two games.
10:41However, FIFA waived the suspension that would have affected him at the tournament.
10:45Soon after, other players also received the same treatment.
10:47At the actual tournament, Fuller and Balogun was sent off,
10:50meaning he was set to miss the U.S.'s knockout game against Belgium.
10:53After review, the number 20 United States Committee serious fall.
11:02The final decision is red card.
11:06However, the suspension was delayed, allowing the forward to play.
11:09Outrage and allegations of corruption quickly spread,
11:12especially after U.S. President Donald Trump admitted to asking FIFA to review the ban.
11:16While this led to speculation that other suspensions might get the same treatment,
11:19that didn't happen.
11:20Instead, England's Burrell Kwanzaa, for example, had his ban extended.
11:24They've looked at it, they've decided that it's a dangerous tackle,
11:27and so his one-match ban has been extended to a two-match ban.
11:32Right, underappreciated players becoming household names.
11:35With the World Cup being the biggest sporting event,
11:37players who aren't well-known by most football fans
11:40can showcase their talents on the big stage.
11:41Hey everyone, wow, what a week.
11:44From nothing planned to millions of new followers.
11:48For example, Tim Payne went from a few thousand Instagram followers
11:51before the tournament to over 5 million.
11:53Cape Verde's incredible performance made stars out of several players,
11:56none more so than Vozinha.
11:58Before the tournament, the 40-year-old goalkeeper had around 56,000 followers,
12:01which rose to around 29 million.
12:03Oh, what a big moment, Vozinha stands big.
12:06With his newfound celebrity, Vozinha even had a newly discovered sea slug named after him.
12:11Vozinha's defender, Pico Lopez, went viral for how he was approached
12:15to represent the nation via LinkedIn.
12:17Kevin Pina also became a Blue Sharks legend with Vozinha's first World Cup goal,
12:21a stunning long-range free kick.
12:23Pina blasts it!
12:25Oh, they've scored!
12:28Sensational!
12:29From Camo Verde!
12:31Their first-ever goal at the World Cup Finals!
12:36Kevin Pina has got it!
12:38Who has been your favorite player at the 2026 World Cup?
12:40Let us know below!
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