And so, after 102 matches, 16 cities and three countries, the 2026 World Cup is nearing its end. Just two games remain — the unnecessary, emotional wasteland of the bronze medal match and the final.Saturday and Sunday’s games are 24 hours and a world apart. One is the match everyone wants to play in; the other is the one no-one wants to have to turn up for. Playing for third place is a box-ticking exercise for Fifa, another money-spinner before the sport’s governing body heads back to Zurich to count its tax-free takings.It has, despite itself, been a good World Cup, marbled with magical, unexpected moments, speckled with embarrassing stumbles and the odd spectacular failure. There are players we will not see again at a World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo has finally retired, having done a fine impression of the statue that will be no doubt erected in his honour. He did Portugal no favours by playing in 2026, his legs so far gone not even his ego could shift them. “Ten men and a statue” was one headline.Lionel Messi has one more stage to star on before he calls it a day, but you suspect Spain have a little too much wherewithal about them to be dragged into the kicking, screaming, diving, complaining, pouting bitch-fest that was Argentina’s semifinal against England. It was a match that had all the clichés. Attack is the best form of defence. You don’t win matches by trying not to lose them. England, having taken the lead through the effervescent Anthony Gordon, tried to hold on, which, as Harry Kane admitted, “is not good enough at this level”. They reverted to a Gareth Southgate-era mindset, lacking the conviction of winners, riven by the fear of losing rather than driven by the prospect of winning. Thomas Tuchel, the coach, admitted he got his substitutions wrong and took the blame. A statistic shared by The Guardian showed that “in the 37 minutes between Anthony Gordon’s goal and Lautaro Martinez’s winner, England had 12% possession. That’s not just England going back into their shell; that’s England being totally outplayed.”Kane may not make another World Cup, as he will be 36 next time around; Mo Salah will be 38 and will be unlikely to return. Others will call it a day, but France have just six players over 30 in their squad, and Erling Haaland will be in his prime. Haaland did the incredible at the tournament and turned this writer into a fan. He showed a side to him away from the “Stay humble” gobshite I thought he was.There is one more real game left. Spain versus Argentina, Messi versus Yamal, chaos against structure.By arriving home with a $750 stuffed raccoon holding an empty gin bottle and his good humour on and off the field, Haaland made me like him. So did many others. About 500 babies have reportedly been named after him during the World Cup.It has been a World Cup of distractions. The hydration breaks were an advertising sham; Trump’s appeal for that red card unsettled the US side; Gianni Infantino’s obsequiousness and need for publicity will one day unseat him as president; the war with Iran was waged with missiles and visa restrictions; Somali referee Omar Ortan was deported; VARgentina’s win over Egypt felt engineered; and there was the Spidercam incident as England beat Norway.Racist social media abuse ramped up, with France 24 reporting: “According to Fifa’s Social Media Protection Service, more than 6-million social media posts have been analysed during the tournament. The data reveal a 13-fold increase in abusive content compared with the 2022 World Cup, with racial abuse accounting for 11% of all abusive posts.” Argentinian fans were recorded directing racist chants at American YouTube star IShowSpeed AKA Darren Watkins Jnr.But, for all the negative, there was so much to love. Scotland were rubbish on the park, but their fans were wonderful in all aspects. The journeys of Cape Verde and Curaçao will live long in the memory. Bafana beating South Korea still seems surreal. There is one more real game left. Spain versus Argentina, Messi versus Yamal, chaos against structure. I drew Spain in a World Cup draw and will be shouting for them to win. Spain oozes confidence and composure. Argentina have lived on Messi’s scraps. Then the World Cup will be done and the four-year wait will begin again.