RJ Hamster
SI:AM | A Dull Ending to an Amazing World…
DAN GARTLAND
Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I can’t believe MLS and Fox didn’t schedule a game as a nightcap after the World Cup final. They didn’t want to capitalize on the massive TV audience to show off the top domestic soccer league?
In today’s SI:AM:
That was a letdown
Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated
Surely there were millions of fans who tuned in for yesterday’s World Cup final who thought, “Oh yeah, this is why I only watch this sport every four years.”
The 2026 World Cup will be remembered as perhaps the most interesting edition in the tournament’s rich history, and hopefully soccer-curious American fans’ enduring memories of the summer will be all the great games we saw, rather than the stinker that closed it out. Picking the best storyline of the tournament or the most memorable game is an impossible task. Cabo Verde’s underdog run and epic round of 32 match against Argentina would be a good choice. Argentina also had incredible comebacks against Egypt and England en route to the final. England had its own stunning comeback in the round of 32 against DR Congo, then played an instant classic against co-host Mexico at the iconic Estadio Azteca and later won a bonkers third-place game against France. Norway had its best World Cup performance ever as Erling Haaland announced himself to the North American audience as one of the best players in the world. The list goes on and on.
But there’s no denying that Spain and Argentina wrapped it up with a dud. CONTINUE DAN’S COLUMN ON SI
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👀 The top five …
… things I saw yesterday:
5. Cathal O’Neill’s goal for Limerick in the other big championship game of the day: the All-Ireland hurling final.
4. Nolan Arenado’s game-tying home run for the Diamondbacks after they trailed the Cardinals, 7–0. Arizona went on to win in 10 innings on a walk-off double by Max Kepler.
3. William Contreras’s epic bat flip after a walk-off, two-run homer. (I like how he looked up to make sure it wasn’t going to smack him in the head on the way down.)
2. Ryan Fox’s clutch birdie putt on the final hole to win the British Open. Fox, 39, had never finished higher than 16th at a major.
1. The Spanish TV call of Ferran Torres’s winning goal.
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