The highlights and controversies of the 2026 World Cup

By — Stephanie Sy Stephanie Sy By — Karina Cuevas Karina Cuevas By — Bridget Craig Bridget Craig Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-highlights-and-controversies-of-the-2026-world-cup Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio There was a hero’s welcome for the Spanish soccer team as they arrived in Madrid, where throngs of fans cheered their triumphant World Cup win. Spain’s victory ended Argentina and its star Lionel Messi’s reign, and caps off a tournament that defied expectations on several fronts. Stephanie Sy discussed more with Leander Schaerlaeckens, author of “The Long Game." Listen to this Segment By — Stephanie Sy Stephanie Sy Stephanie Sy is a PBS News Hour correspondent. Throughout her career, she served in anchor and correspondent capacities for ABC News, Al Jazeera America, CBSN, CNN International, and PBS News Hour Weekend. Prior to joining News Hour, she was with Yahoo News where she anchored coverage of the 2018 Midterm Elections and reported from Donald Trump’s victory party on Election Day 2016. By — Karina Cuevas Karina Cuevas By — Bridget Craig Bridget Craig