Post by John Okiyi Kalu (@JOK)

Memory Lane: When the World’s Biggest Football Tournament Defied the Critics

Before the commencement of the FIFA World Cup in the United States, many left-leaning media organizations and commentators predicted doom and gloom for the global football showpiece, attributing their concerns largely to President Donald Trump’s policies and personality.

Among the predictions were poor attendance, reduced international tourism, reputational damage to the United States, political controversy overshadowing the tournament, and weak economic benefits. As usual, some Nigerian left-leaning media outlets and commentators echoed reports and analyses from The Washington Post, The New York Times, the BBC, the Los Angeles Times, NPR, Human Rights Watch, and others.

With the World Cup now over, it is clear that many of those predictions did not materialize. The United States successfully hosted what many regard as one of the best World Cups in history, further strengthening football’s standing in the country while generating economic activity projected to run into billions of dollars.

Interestingly, the United States hosted the tournament while engaged in military conflict with Iran, yet safety and security were maintained across all venues, allowing fans from around the world to enjoy the event.

As an aside, I have listened to comments by some local media personalities regarding the inclusion of World Cup-related expenditures in Nigeria’s 2026 budget. It is important to understand that a budget is a plan, not proof that money has been spent.

At the time the budget was prepared, Nigeria was still in the qualification race and had a realistic possibility of reaching the World Cup. Even when the budget was eventually passed, there was still an expectation that FIFA might rule favourably on Nigeria’s petition concerning DR Congo. Had Nigeria qualified, either on the pitch or through a successful appeal, there would have been no legal basis to spend public funds on the tournament if no budgetary provision had been made.

There was therefore nothing inherently wrong with making budgetary provisions for a possible World Cup campaign. What should concern critics is whether any money was actually spent after Nigeria failed to qualify. That is why analysts should focus more attention on budget implementation and performance reports. Those reports reveal what government actually spent, whereas the budget merely outlines what it intends or is authorised to spend.

—JOK
21/07/2026

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