Someone compared FIFA to the Sinaloa cartel and the WC to...

a cocaine rush provided by that cartel.

There were SO many fascinating features to this WC--CV's astounding run, Messi's swan song, Haaland's emergence, multiple colorful fan bases, Tuchel getting second-guessed for the rest of his life, Spain's consistent excellence. Except for the US-Belgium game, I enjoyed the WC itself in so many ways.

In order to enjoy it, one had to compartmentalize such external features as the ticket pricing, Our Soccer Fan in Chief being the World's Oldest Make a Wish Child, the unabashedly corrupt Infantino, and "an unprecedented level of commercialization, bordering on the trivial."

I loved it while it was happening, I was sorry to see it end, and I knew all along that it had many unappealing qualities. Le Figaro summed up those unappealing qualities well. FIFA being FIFA, the success of a 48 team WC will almost inevitably lead to a 64 team WC.