Record-Length World Cup: Changes, Controversies, and Farewell to Legends
The World Cup, hosted by Canada, the USA, and Mexico, concluded with Spain's victory after a record-breaking 104 matches. The tournament introduced mandatory water breaks and saw the farewell of football icons like Messi and Ronaldo.
The FIFA World Cup held this summer in Canada, the United States, and Mexico ended with Spain lifting the trophy. The tournament set a record for length, featuring over a month of football with 104 matches.
For the first time since 1998, the finals included 48 teams instead of 32. The group stage also changed: in eight groups, three teams advanced to the knockout rounds instead of two. The most notable innovation was the mandatory water breaks in the middle of each half. Many viewers, including a commentator for Kurzemnieks.lv, expressed the view that these pauses were introduced not for players' health but to allow additional advertising. While they may be justified in extreme heat, top-level athletes generally do not need them.
The water breaks also had a tactical impact: coaches gained a three-minute opportunity to instruct players in each half, which is normally difficult due to crowd noise. This increased the number of halves where coaches could fully address their team from one to three.
European fans faced sleep schedule disruptions due to time zone differences, with matches running consecutively from evening to morning during the group stage. One commentator noted they only watched 15–20 matches, always prioritizing sleep.
Despite controversial rule changes and refereeing decisions, this World Cup will be remembered as the last to feature legends such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, and Manuel Neuer. The generational shift is palpable, and for many sports enthusiasts, football once again captured hearts for a month every four years.
