The summer of soccer is over. On Sunday, Spain and Argentina both triumphed after late scores, lifting the European Championship and Copa América trophies, respectively. Argentina’s victory over Colombia was marred by off-field controversy, however. As kickoff approached, Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium was overwhelmed by fans: Some had fake tickets, others forced their way in, while hundreds, perhaps thousands, of fans with legitimate tickets never made it into the stadium, even after kickoff was delayed for over an hour. The ugly scenes in Miami raise serious questions about America’s readiness to host the 2026 World Cup. In the sixth and final episode of Owned Goals, hosts Alex Shephard, Miguel Salazar, and Ben Makuch discuss the chaos at the Copa, the upcoming World Cup, and their takeaways from two tournaments that were exciting and frustrating in equal measure.
