Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterWhen referee Slavko Vincic blew the final whistle at the World Cup on Sunday evening, it didn't just signal the end of one of the worst tournament finals in living memory, it also signalled the end of a competition that has met, and in many cases exceeded, a whole host of pre-tournament worries.While there have undoubtedly been some great stories on the pitch, they are very much outweighed by the negatives that this tournament has produced, with controversy and allegations of corruption at the heart of a World Cup like no other before, and one that could have set football down a worrying path.Though it seems churlish to rain on Spain's parade quite so immediately, there are a number of issues that have been dragged up at this World Cup that simply cannot be ignored.Gianni Infantino, Donald Trump and FIFA's problematic relationshipsChief among those issues is the amount of power seemingly being given to external influences like U.S. President Donald Trump, who was able to persuade FIFA to have Folarin Balogun's suspension magically suspended, despite all of the game's rules and laws stating that it should not be permitted.Not only did this bring FIFA's increasingly problematic governance into sharp focus, but it also put the US Men's National Team and Balogun himself at the heart of a controversy they didn't ask to be a part of, eradicating any of the positivity they had earned through their impressive performances. Their humbling at the hands of Belgium was seen as a karmic realignment by most neutral fans, and though it was difficult not to smile as the USMNT spectacularly crashed out, FIFA and Gianni Infantino still have yet to sufficiently answer questions surrounding their contribution to what is arguably the most overtly grim moment in modern World Cup history. You may like No love for the World Cup half time show... the three hour wait to get into the stadium was more entertaining Who is Gianni Infantino? Everything you need to know about the FIFA President How to watch World Cup 2026: FREE live streams, groups, next matches It sadly came as no surprise either, with Infantino showing early on at the tournament that he was more or less completely unable to influence the competition he was supposed to be in charge of in any meaningful way.Somali referee Omar Artan should be heading home today, proud of having performed his duties on the biggest stage possible. Instead, he was embarrassed and barred entry for some fairly flimsy reasoning and forced to watch from home like most others.He wasn't the only one to have problems getting into the country, either. Fans had visas rescinded at late notice, the Iranian team had to leave games in the USA immediately after they had finished and relocate to Mexico, while other supporters had to use life savings to pay exorbitant ticket prices.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.All Infantino could muster when asked about these issues was to tell people to "relax and chill" before doing seemingly nothing to address any of these concerns as the tournament went on.Should these issues be forgotten, or if people simply move on from this, then it sets a dangerous precedent. Infantino already has the backing of more than 200 FIFA members for re-election at the upcoming presidential vote in March, which shows just how willing to forget about these incidents FIFA members are. Hoping for any reform seems beyond naive at this point, and this tournament has only served to prove that he needs to be held to account externally, because internal repercussions are unlikely to ever arrive.Away from these obvious failings, the tournament itself was also riddled with problems caused simply by poor choices. What to read next Will Donald Trump be at the World Cup final and will he present the trophy? 26 reasons why World Cup 2026 will be historic I spent six weeks in New York and they opened their arms to the World Cup and the world came to play The expanded team format was fun for a while, but eventually wore thin, meaning that fans had grown weary of the number of games by the end of the tournament. It seems, however, that this is only going to go one way, with a 64-team World Cup already proposed for the near future, with decision makers seemingly incapable of doing things that are genuinely in the best interest of the sport.What's more, the fact that the MetLife Stadium was selected over options like the Azteca, or Sofi Stadium as the venue for the final is a borderline dereliction of duty, with the New York/New Jersey-based stadium unable to hold a candle to the history and reverence of the Mexico City arena when it comes to football.The spectacle inside was dismal as well, in particular the half-time show, rightly panned as "crap" by Wayne Rooney and something that should never be a feature of a World Cup final ever again.Yet, with Donald Trump eyeing up further hosting duties in the future, stating "we will be requesting it again immediately" after the final had ended, it's not hard to see a world where FIFA hands it to them on a retainer and Shakira and Justin Bieber become as synonymous with World Cup finals as Maradona and Marco Tardelli. It doesn't even seem that farfetched a suggestion at this point.Such nonsense had begun long before half-time at the final, prior to which, actor Tom Cruise bafflingly told us all that football "brought the world together". Yet, this was arguably the most divisive tournament in history, turning participants against the hosts, splitting fan groups into those who could and couldn't afford to attend and treating some people entirely differently to others based on little evidence or reasoning.This is not what a World Cup should be. We should expect better, and it shouldn't be too much to hope that the game respects everyone involved. Instead, we were served pantomime theatrics, watered down quality and a complete misunderstanding of the game by a governing body that time and time again is incapable of understanding what is right for the game. We deserve much, much better, but I fear things will only get worse from here.Ryan GraySocial Links NavigationFreelance WriterRyan Gray is a freelance writer, covering mainly travel and occasionally sport. He previously spent two years as Sports Editor at the Watford Observer before turning his hand to travel writing, with his work appearing in various national UK publications. He has gone from providing matchday commentary for Blyth Spartans to covering FA Cup and Euros finals, as well as interviewing the likes of Claudio Ranieri, Alan Shearer and Glenn Hoddle, among other big names.
