by
Of all the many divisive changes and quirks being introduced at the 2026 World Cup, one of the most painful of all is only beginning to take shape.
Some of the best matches of the tournament are set to play out before the group stage concludes on Sunday — but the world will also sit through some of the dullest moments seen at the World Cup recently.
Between the participation awards of eight third-ranked teams progressing to the knockout stage, and the introduction of head-to-head results being the decisive factor in separating teams on level points, we’re going to be robbed of some of the unforgettable scenes in Qatar four years ago.
Even as Brazil put Scotland to the sword in Miami on Thursday, the contest and spectacle fell flat.
Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
Vini powers Brazil to top of Group C | 01:48
The significance of topping the group or finishing second seems such less of an achievement than the elation teams like Australia tasted in Qatar for finishing second in their pool.
There were also the bonkers scenes during the final group stage games in 2022 where Mexico and Poland finished level on every traditional metric, including for-and-against.
It seemed it was going to come down to fair play rules with Poland carrying fewer yellow cards. It left Mexico needing a third goal deep in stoppage time Saudi Arabia, before Saudi Arabia scored in the 95th minute.
It was labelled “heartbreaking”, “a crazy day of football” and had viewers in “disbelief”.
There was also the Group E rollercoaster where the standings danced in all directions during the final group games. Deep in the second half the permutations had Japan and Costa Rica progressing at the expense of goliaths Spain and Germany.
Germany scored three goals in the final 20 minutes, but still tasted the bitter fate of being eliminated while Spain survived with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Japan.
The ecstasy was so much sweeter for Spain and Japan because the despair of elimination would have hurt so much more.
There are plenty of twists and turns to come this tournament, but Brazil’s stroll to victory over Scotland was nothing close to the spectacle that gripped the world four years ago.
Scottish players were miserable at full time, but they are far from done.
They finished their match ranked sixth on the “live” third-placed table. Eight of the 12 teams that finish third will progress.
Learning the right phrase to type into Google to find the mathematical equation needed to calculate which of the 12 teams will make it through is not exactly the same spectacle we have seen at previous World Cups.
It seems BBC Scotland’s Scott Mullens agreed.
“Trying to fight off that this has that last-day-of-a-stag-weekend feel,” he said during the first half of Scotland’s loss to Brazil.
“Overdid it in the first night, second night was a bit flat, and you’re now all burst, hungover, skint, and killing time until your flight home with a bag of duty free and regret.
“We need Mike Tyson to turn up with a tiger or something.”
There are many dead-rubbers to be played out this week.
While Australia and Paraguay will be fighting for their lives on Friday (AEST) in a scenario where they both could progress, the other Group D match between the United States and Turkiye is pointless since Turkiye can’t avoid the bottom rank because of its head to head with the Socceroos and Paraguay.
The United States can also not be overtaken at the top of the group because of their wins against Australia and Paraguay — even if there were to be a six goal swing between the two matches.
It’s something plenty are lamenting.
Football reporter Miguel Delaney posted on X: “Fifa’s shift from goal difference to head-to-head to decide groups is an inexplicably terrible decision that has needlessly killed or muted loads of final-round group games.
“USA-Turkey would have tonnes on it, for one. Now it’s a needless dead rubber.”
He also wrote on Thursday: “Imagine the tension now in this Brazil-Scotland game if Haiti weren’t locked out by head-to-head.
“I honestly find it infuriating. A terrible development.”
He wrote for The Independent: “It is hard to overstate how unnecessary and inexplicable this is, especially when this World Cup has been so good.
“So much potential excitement has been abruptly killed. So many possible end-to-ends from frantic group finishes have been prematurely stopped.”
The use of head-to-head results as the primary determining factor has been used by UEFA — to very mixed opinion.
Now the system is having it’s biggest test yet.
In the court of public opinion it’s a test it seems to be failing.
It doesn’t matter to FIFA at the end of the day.
FIFA supremo Gianni Infantino said from the start four years’ ago that the 48-team tournament concept would be worth an additional $3.5 billion to the governing body’s coffers.
Numbers and dollars appear to be the only determining factor behind every call this tournament.
