The World Cup may already be in our rearview, but what a time it was. Casual soccer fans became rabid obsessives. International tourists marveled at the wonders of Costco. Erling Haaland!
Like the Olympics, the World Cup is a once-every-four-years phenomenon that brings together top-tier athletes from around the globe for an unparalleled competition. And also like the Olympics, this competition relies heavily on the quality and capability of the host cities’ stadiums.
The casual viewer may not have cared deeply about where the games were played. There were many more compelling storylines to follow. Would Messi’s (supposed) last hurrah take him all the way to the top? (Spoiler: sadly, no.) Would Folarin Balogun’s reinstatement change the U.S. team’s fate? (Sadly, no again.) Did Haaland really take home a taxidermy raccoon? (Yes!)
