now it feels nostalgic, really missing the world cup

I hadn't really thought about it before, but after seeing a comparison of how interest in different countries changed during the World Cup, one thing really stood out to me.

I always assumed the host countries would naturally get most of the attention. Their cities are everywhere, the stadiums are constantly on screen, and the whole tournament is built around them.

But some of the countries people seemed most curious about weren't the hosts at all. What surprised me most was that Cabo Verde appeared to gain far more new attention than some of the countries actually hosting the tournament.

I guess it makes sense in a way. When a less familiar country suddenly performs well or becomes part of a memorable match, people want to know more about it. For many viewers, it might even be the first time they properly notice that country.

It made me wonder whether a major event really changes how we see a country, or whether it just gives us a reason to notice it for the first time.

Thinking back to Germany in 2006, South Africa in 2010, Brazil in 2014, Russia in 2018, Qatar in 2022 and now 2026, has any World Cup genuinely changed your impression of a country?

Maybe it made you want to visit, challenged something you previously believed, or simply made the place feel more real and familiar.

Which country left the strongest impression on you, and why?

With Spain winning the 2026 World Cup, the list of nations that have ever lifted the trophy is still incredibly short:
this:
🇧🇷 Brazil — 5 (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)
🇩🇪 Germany — 4 (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)
🇮🇹 Italy — 4 (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006)
🇦🇷 Argentina — 3 (1978, 1986, 2022)
🇫🇷 France — 2 (1998, 2018)
🇪🇸 Spain — 2 (2010, 2026)
🇺🇾 Uruguay — 2 (1930, 1950)
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England — 1 (1966)

Who do you think will be the 9th nation to win the World Cup?

What is going on in his head? Starting a street fight after the final whistle? A disgrace for the sport.

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Paredes deserves multiple sending offs, many skipped fouls or yellow cards even one for Messi.

referee is not good but not too atrocious.

It ain’t the fuckin’ Superbowl… why the fuck do we have to listen to the US national anthem?
Trump with the trophy, commercial breaks, halftime show…
Don’t try to taint the event with all this bullshit!

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I’m very confused why the most clutch player Lautaro Martinez was never put in the game ?

Especially after Enzo got a yellow and was emotional should have made switch ? Or who was the last guy for Argentina’s final sub? Never seen him play til today. I’m very confused

Spain dominated but I wonder if Lautaro Energy would have done something .

1. Argentina vs Cape Verde (3-2)
2. England vs Mexico (3-2)
3. Argentina vs Egypt (3-2)
4. Belgium vs Senegal (3-2)
5. Argentina vs England (2-1)
6. Portugal vs Croatia (2-1)
7. Morocco vs Netherlands (1-1) (3-2 penalties)
8. France vs Spain (0-2)
9. Portugal vs Spain (0-1)
10. Cape Verde vs Spain (0-0)
11. England vs Croatia (4-2)
12. Japan vs Netherlands (2-2)
13. Germany vs Paraguay (1-1) (3-4 penalties)
14. New Zealand vs Iran (2-2)
15. Brazil vs Norway (1-2)
16. Brazil vs Japan (2-1)

What are your thoughts?

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