New Delhi: It was always a bit of an anomaly. The most popular sport in the world existed only in a niche in the world’s wealthiest country. For many years, football wanted to leave its mark on the United States of America but now, as the 2026 World Cup comes to a close, it looks as if the USA has left its mark on football.US President Donald Trump speaks alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino at a FIFA Reception at Trump Tower on July 17, 2026 in New York City. (Getty Images via AFP)It is the same thing but not quite the same thing. The US has always insisted that football was indeed soccer. They could not have it confused with their national pastime, the National Football League (American football to the rest of the world). So, soccer it is and clearly FIFA president Gianni Infantino doesn’t mind.He has seemingly gone out of his way to make concessions to the USA (the red card reversal of Folarin Balogun was anything but ideal) but the tournament has made money, lots of it.According to a report in The Guardian, “Fifa will announce record $15bn revenues from this summer’s World Cup, significantly exceeding the targets set before the tournament.”Originally, the governing body had projected $11bn in earnings. This figure alone will ensure that Infantino should have a pretty good chance of winning a fourth term.Among the many things that have changed in this World Cup, the most noticeable will perhaps be the championship rings. Usually handed out to the winners of NBA, NHL and NFL, the rings now make an appearance in football as well. If you are a winner, you have got to flaunt it... right?The championship ring will be crafted from premium materials. Along with diamonds and gold elements, each ring will feature engraved details including the player’s full name and shirt number, the official logo of the World Cup, the result of the final match and the name of the nation crowned world champions.It doesn’t end there though. Back in 2018, shortly after the USA, Canada and Mexico were confirmed as hosts of the 2026 World Cup, Diego Maradona launched a passionate attack on the North American sporting model. The 1986 World Cup winner believed football’s traditional format would eventually be altered to satisfy television broadcasters and commercial interests.Speaking on an Argentine television programme, Maradona said: “They will divide the game into four halves instead of two to insert advertisements. Compare it, you will see.”And we are seeing exactly that now. The three-minute hydration breaks – one in each half – has added an ad break to the proceedings and not everyone is happy. But it makes money.The half-time show – it could be up to 20 minutes long – during the final might seem like an irritant to many hardcore football fans but it will draw in the casual fan and get social media excited.Ticket prices for the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain at MetLife Stadium reached historic highs with standard unsold tickets on FIFA’s official website ranging from $30,000 to $33,000, and secondary market resale platforms like SeatPick and TickPick listing tickets between $10,000 and $2.3 million. Crazy prices one might say, but that has been a regular complaint of the fans.Matches have had more than a fair share of Hollywood glamour and no one will mind that but with politics spilling on to the football field, it felt like the game wasn’t the equal experience it should have been. The entry bans on some foreign nationals didn’t help the overall feel but US president Donald Trump wanted to do things his way and FIFA was happy to play along.All of this combined has seen FIFA make money but many wonder whether the American influence will be a good thing and how many of these US-led changes will prevail.Trump, however, is pleased with how things turned out and confirmed his country’s eagerness to bid for the 2038 tournament. “You should choose the United States of America again,” he said on Friday. “This time we will leave Canada and Mexico out.”By then, who knows whether football will feel more like soccer.