World Cup star reflects on 'dark side' of the tournament: 'Led by capitalism, entertainment, money'

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FT Desk

The 2026 World Cup will be remembered for a lot of reasons.

There were the last World Cup dances of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the early exits of Brazil and the Netherlands and, of course, Spain going on to win the tournament for the second time in their history.

Undoubtedly, the most controversial moment surrounded the USMNT, however. Following Folarin Balogun's red card against Bosnia & Herzegovina, FIFA made the unprecedented decision to overturn his suspension so that he could feature in a last-16 tie against Belgium.

It was later revealed that United States President Donald Trump had personally contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino to see about getting the suspension overturned.

There was uproar from most, especially the Belgian side, who felt they had become the victims of an injustice.

One of their players, Thomas Meunier, has reflected on the scandal.

“I think this event was a reflection of the whole World Cup — led by capitalism, entertainment, money. This World Cup was the dark side of traditional football," he told the Athletic.

The 2026 World Cup was the most expensive in history for supporters, mainly because it was spread across the USA, Canada and Mexico. Fans had to pay for flights between different host cities, as well as hotels, pricey match tickets, food and transport.

The price of match tickets, in particular, was an onrunning theme throughout the tournament.

As for Infantino, he received and continues to receive criticism for his relationship with Trump as FIFA is suppoed to remain a politically neutral organisation.

“I do believe politics and football do not have to be partners in any way,” Meunier said

"But, the problem is that football reflects what people think — it can be heard in the stands, racism, a lot things. So is it really possible to divide football and politics?

“Federations are political, the financial aspect, everything is linked, it’s a bit like a government. As long as the politicians take the best decision for the people, it’s not a problem. But, if the politics are — I’m not going to say ‘corrupted’, but goes against sport — then it’s dangerous.

“And that’s what we had with Balogun. The consequences of their defeat went on him, but he didn’t ask for anything. This was too much, too much on him. But after that incident, this conflict, everyone wanted us to beat America, because of that situation. Everyone wanted them to be eliminated.”

Even though Belgium went on to win the game and knock the United States out of the World Cup, they assured they would continue their pursuit of justice.

And, with that mind, they officially withdrew support for Infantino's re-election as president of FIFA, which the man himself confirmed last week.

"The RBFA notes that, in this matter, a number of important decisions and assessments have, to date, not been sufficiently substantiated by adequate justifications," the Belgian federation said.

"This raises questions regarding the transparency and governance of this process. We remain in close contact with UEFA and, together, we are seeking clear answers regarding the decision-making process and the next steps."

RBFA president Pascale Van Damme said:

"Two months after the events, we note that our questions remain unanswered to date.

"Given the importance of transparency and clarity for all parties involved, we request the necessary explanations and, at the same time, wish to explore where improvements to the current processes are possible, so that similar cases can be handled in a clear, consistent and efficient manner in the future."

Infantino's tenure as president is under huge pressure currently, not only due to his relationship with Trump but also for a number of other reasons, such as his failed FIFA Forward Enterprise plans, which would have seen private equity invest in the World Cup.