Argentina's Lionel Messi is met by FIFA President Gianni Infantino (left) and U.S. President Donald Trump during the awards ceremony following the World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday. | AFP-JIJI
Jul 20, 2026
The 2026 World Cup may ultimately be remembered less for the identity of its winner than for the question it left hanging over the game: how much of soccer’s American makeover will survive once the tournament leaves North America?
From mandatory “hydration” breaks that effectively split matches into four quarters to championship rings, a halftime show and an ever more tightly packaged entertainment product, FIFA embraced elements of the U.S. sporting model with enthusiasm. Some of those innovations will probably be remembered as novelties of an American-hosted tournament — while others may prove harder to dislodge.
The mid-half breaks, brought in throughout the competition regardless of whether conditions strictly required them, were introduced by FIFA on player-welfare grounds in a tournament played through the heat and humidity of a North American summer.
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