The official winners of the 2026 World Cup will be determined on the field.
But the real champions — the stars of this tournament’s memes, viral videos and online conversation — have already begun to emerge. The group stage has delivered unlikely folk heroes, fan celebrations, fast-food diplomacy, and enough TikTok content to last far past the final. Some teams have won matches but lost the internet. Others, already on the flight home, leave with their reputations enhanced, their followers multiplied and their place in World Cup folklore secure. Forget the brackets. Here are the real winners and losers of this year’s tournament.
America’s Surprise Soft Power
FIFA World Cup Meal drink cup, a takeaway bag and packagings are seen in this illustration photo taken in Poland on June 21, 2026.
The reporting going into this World Cup was, from an American perspective, mostly negative, with stories of travel bans for foreign fans, possible ICE raids in or around stadiums, and sky-high ticket prices. Things were primed for an anti-American backlash. That the opposite has happened has, surprisingly, to do with American Fast Food. Videos of World Cup tourists trying — and raving — about Taco Bell, ranch dressing, even gas station Twinkies, have become the most durable meme of this year’s tournament. Not all the videos were from genuine fans — some were foodie influencers who posted their content well before the World Cup, some comedians goofing on the trend — but for Americans used to being presented as the big bads of international politics, it’s been refreshing to see at least U.S. Big Gulps are getting some love.
