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The 2026 World Cup came to a close on Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in New York, with Spain raising its second world star. Beyond La Roja's triumph, this North American edition of the tournament leaves behind a sense of an era ending. Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Neymar, the three dominant faces of world football for nearly twenty years, have all bid farewell to the premier competition, each in their own way, each with their own ghosts.
The twilight of the giants
Brazil, despite being favorites, were surprised by a clinical Norway at MetLife Stadium, the very venue where the final would be played fifteen days later.
Neymar was the first to fall, on July 5, in the round of 16. Brazil, despite being favorites, were surprised by a clinical Norway at MetLife Stadium, the very venue where the final would be played fifteen days later. The auriverde number 10 had equalized from the penalty spot, giving the Seleção hope of a comeback that never came. A 2-1 defeat, elimination, silence. After the final whistle, Neymar, 34, with red eyes, remained seated on the pitch for a long time before announcing the end of his international career. Sixteen years wearing the Brazilian jersey closed in the tears of a New York night.
Cristiano Ronaldo, for his part, had reignited the flame. His Portugal overturned Croatia in the round of 32 (2-1) with a penalty converted by the tireless 41-year-old captain, who was playing in his sixth World Cup. Toronto vibrated one last time for CR7. But three days later, on July 6, Spain closed the book without mercy. A goal from Mikel Merino at the very end of the match, a 1-0 defeat, and the bitter feeling of an early exit in the round of 16 for the man with 212 caps. Ronaldo left the pitch almost serenely, as if the obvious had dawned on him well before the final whistle.
Lionel Messi came close to apotheosis. Three days before the final, he had delivered half an hour of absolute football against England: two goals in seven minutes, an assist for Lautaro Martinez in stoppage time, and an Argentina that overturned everything to secure a second consecutive final (2-1). But on July 19, the genius fell silent. Against an implacable Spain, Messi remained ghostly, without influence on the game, without a spark. Ferran Torres's opening goal in extra time sealed the fate of an exhausted Albiceleste. At the final whistle, the 39-year-old Argentine collapsed in tears, his gaze lost toward the stands of MetLife Stadium. His last World Cup would not offer him a third star.
French quarrels and tensions
The French team did not escape turbulence. The third-place playoff loss to England (4-6) exposed deep cracks. Trailing 4-0 at halftime in Miami, Les Bleus experienced a nightmare first half. Didier Deschamps, who was coaching his last match at the helm of the national team, was forced to pull Rayan Cherki at halftime. The young Lyon player, invisible, experienced this substitution as a humiliation. The rift between the coach and his attacking midfielder fueled debates long after the final whistle, casting an additional shadow over the French exit.
Surprises of an expanded World Cup
This 48-team tournament also offered its share of highlights. Norway, led by an insatiable Erling Haaland and a Martin Ødegaard in a state of grace, eliminated Brazil before falling with honors in the quarterfinals. England, third in the tournament after their offensive festival against the French, confirmed their rise. Morocco, a semifinalist in 2022, once again shook up certainties by reaching the round of 16 with generous football. But perhaps the biggest surprise is Spain itself: given as outsiders, Luis de la Fuente's Roja displayed total football that left no chance to their opponents in the knockout stages.
A new generation in charge
Kylian Mbappé finished as the tournament's Golden Boot and the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, a powerful symbol of the changing of the guard. Lamine Yamal, 19, world champion in his first participation, embodies the bright future of Spanish football. Rodri, voted the best player of the World Cup ahead of Messi, reminded us that the football of tomorrow belongs as much to the architects in the shadows as to flashes of genius. The Ronaldo-Messi-Neymar page turns. Behind it, a new generation has already taken the keys.