Pitch points: three big questions for the world of soccer in 2026 | Football
How will the United States (the soccer team and the country) perform in the 2026 World Cup?
You may have heard that there will be a World Cup this year. After all the debate about ticket prices, peace prizes and relaxation breaks, a real football tournament is about to start. This is where the United States, as the national team and host nation, will truly be judged; when the 2026 World Cup will be considered a stunning success or a grotesque failure. There will be no middleman. No nuance. This has long since disappeared from public discourse.
Fifa has already taken its victory lap, with a record 150 million ticket requests. How many of these applications came from bots was not specified. Gianni Infantino, however, claimed that FIFA’s exorbitant ticket prices were justifiable, because without supporters squeezing for every penny, “there would be no football in 150 countries around the world”. Apparently, the $7.5 billion in revenue Fifa generated during the last World Cup cycle was not enough.
The USMNT also expects an improvement from the 2022 World Cup. Getting past the round of 16 would represent success for Mauricio Pochettino and his players who have gone through a sometimes painful process in 2025. From Concacaf Nations League defeats to Panama and Canada to friendly victories against Japan, Australia, Paraguay and Uruguay, the year ended more positively than it had. started. Will this lead to a good performance at the World Cup itself?
Other questions will be answered next summer. Will the cozy relationship between President Donald Trump and Infantino impact where World Cup matches will take place – and where they won’t? How will fans from countries currently under a travel ban attend matches? Could the scorching heat of a North American summer affect the intensity of matches? On and off the field, the American measure will be taken.
Can Arsenal keep their cool to end their long wait for Premier League glory?
Arsenal have been here before. Exactly four times, to be exact. Each of those four times the Gunners have been top at Christmas, they have failed to win the Premier League title. So Mikel Arteta could be forgiven for swallowing his turkey and stuffing it a little nervously this year, even with his team in first place.
Not least because Manchester City is getting bigger and bigger in the rearview mirror. There is good reason to be wary of Pep Guardiola’s side given they have won their last six league matches in a row. What was not long ago seen as a transitional season for City could turn into another winning season.
Arteta says Arsenal are ‘actively pursuing’ potential signings in January. One or two mid-season additions could help push the Gunners towards the finish line ahead of City, Aston Villa and everyone else. However, Arsenal’s substantial summer business was supposed to be enough to make them champions.
Viktor Gyökeres was supposed to be their Erling Haaland. Instead, the Swedish striker has scored just five goals in 17 league appearances. Eberechi Eze was signed to give them a different dimension in the final third. Since scoring a hat-trick in the North London Derby in November, the England international has gone four league matches without scoring a goal. Noni Madueke – another summer signing – missed much of the season due to injury.
Experience from previous failures in the title race could help Arsenal manage this specific sprint to the finish. Alternatively, past trauma could add to their nervousness which already appears to be building based on recent shaky wins against Wolves, Everton and Brighton. Tuesday’s emphatic victory over Villa was a release of some tension and perhaps a sign that Arsenal are embracing the fight. The second half of the season will be a countdown for Arteta’s title contenders.
Who will win the power struggle for the soul of Real Madrid?
If Xabi Alonso was ever complacent about the task of overhauling Real Madrid’s playing style and overall culture, that is surely not the case now. Hired this summer to coach the Spanish giants into a new era, the former midfielder has encountered all that makes The Whites an anomaly in the modern game.
Under Alonso, Bayer Leverkusen pressed high. They recovered the ball quickly in advanced areas and were among the best in possession in the Bundesliga. Alonso’s Real Madrid team, however, is nothing like the team that won the German title two seasons ago. They don’t press high. They do not win the ball back quickly in advanced areas and often lack possession.
This could be because Real Madrid do not have players capable of doing these things. Or it could be because they have players who don’t want to do these things, perhaps Vinicius Junior among them. The Brazilian’s frosty relationship with Alonso is well documented, raising questions about his future at the Santiago Bernabéu beyond this season.
This season has been much more than the start of a new managerial term, it has been a power struggle for the soul of Real Madrid. One way or another, 2026 will be a pivotal year. Either Alonso’s methods will start to take root, perhaps after a few high-profile departures, or the 44-year-old will be spat out by a club that refuses to swallow its medicine.
