Do you find yourself still checking for 2026 FIFA World Cup match results, only to find no new ones and feeling empty as a result? Then you may be going through World Cup withdrawal.
Do you hear that Hanson song MMMBop and then anxiously long to see Mbappé, as in French football star Kylian Mbappé? Then you may be going through World Cup withdrawal.
Do you feel down not seeing Norwegian fans doing the “Viking Row,” Cape Verde fans doing the Goat celebration or Brazilian fans sporting their classic “Canarinho” uniforms anymore? Then you may be going through World Cup withdrawal.
After 104 matches in 39 days, it’s only natural to feel that something’s been missing since the tournament concluded on July 19. You’ve probably gotten used to the scores of fans wearing their teams’ uniforms and closely following the scores of each match. The atmosphere may seem a little less colorful and little less festive. And there’s the realization that you won’t be seeing the biggest international football tournament of them all in four years, when the men’s FIFA World Cup returns in 2030 to be hosted primarily by Morocco, Portugal and Spain with three special opening matches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
But before you kick yourself in the you-know-where, there are five ways to deal with and maybe even overcome your World Cup withdrawal:
1. Watch Replays Of Matches
Through the magic of this thing called videos, you can watch any of the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches again and again and again. This can include what many consider to one of the two best matches of the World Cup: the Round of 16 clash between Mexico and England in Estadio Azteca. As I wrote in Forbes, England had to contend with the altitude of Mexico City, Mexico’s home crowd and a very good Mexico side. The game went back and forth before Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane and England edged Julián Quiñones, Raúl Jiménez and Mexico 3-2.
The other very memorable match was the Third-Place Match between England and France. The final score, 6-4 for England, looked more like the first set of a tennis match than a final football tally. England’s Three Lions roared out to a 4-0 lead before France, sacré bleu, fought back to 4-3. The rest of the game was a roller coaster ride with France eventually falling short but not by much. Mbappé did score twice in the match to eventually earn the Golden Boot for the most goals in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Alternatively, you could re-watch what might have been the worst match of the tournament—the Final between Spain and Argentina. This one kind of—oh, what’s the technical term for it—sucked. Argentina basically had more yellow cards (three) than shots on goal (zero) by the end of regulation time. It wasn’t until stoppage time that Spain mercilessly scored to eventually put Argentina away 1-0. The most competitive part of the match might have been the fight between the players of the two sides right after the game ended.
5. Continue To Mix With People From Other Cultures And Countries
One of the nicest things about the FIFA World Cup is that it allows you to see and mix with people from many more diverse backgrounds. Just look at what happened when residents of Lawrence, Kansas, embraced Team Algeria after it chose the home of the University of Kansas as its official base camp for the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
This union between Algerians and Kansans is likely to last way past the duration of the World Cup.
Many people were impressed by the Japanese fans and their tradition of cleaning up the stadium after matches:
And you could say that Scottish fans absolutely kilt it in Boston:
So why not continue these feel-good mixing vibes? Consider traveling to other countries. Even if you stay stateside, maybe mix more with communities that you normally don’t mix with so that you can diversify your experiences, perspectives and friends.
As you can see, you are not without ways to handle your World Cup withdrawal symptoms.
