The Right Winner of a World Cup that came at Football’s Expense

Spain were worthy champions, but the World Cup they won was harder to admire. Bloated beyond sporting necessity, interrupted for commercial convenience and damaged by inconsistent refereeing, weak VAR decisions and a group stage stripped of urgency, the tournament often seemed designed around inventory rather than football. Argentina’s cynical run nearly supplied the perfect ending. Spain prevented that. Their victory saved the result, but it could not repair the competition surrounding it.