Strangely enough, the people partaking in this cringe are some of the most anti American types. Which says a lot about American soft power that its mere hosting of the biggest event in the world can condition the most agreeable people into acting in the most American way.
The most subtle importation from American sports culture into the WC is the creation of artificial narratives. Contriving tales in order to formulate this "good guy v bad guy" trope fundamental in the American psyche. Mass produced and repackaged into an awful soap opera.
This Spain super team deserved to win this tourney under the lights in a football cathedral like the Azteca. Instead, they lifting the trophy Sunday lunch time in the stadium equivalent of a McMansion.
Making a final with 50 yr old Otamendi, 5'1 Martinez as your starting CB, bus drivers as fullbacks, and with zero explosive wide players. One of the biggest carry jobs in the history of this sport.
Messi put in the best performance a 39 year old footballer has ever put in. Donβt care if he gave it away a few times. He was up against the most physical team at the tournament
Average person can't name one Aussie politician/musician, past or present, but because they speak with silly accents we're supposed to think they have this massive cultural output. Mandela alone is bigger than Austrailia and they don't even have a Jobim or Fela analogue.
This is an extremely difficult and highly subjective task, but here's my attempt to map countries based on whether they punch above or below their weight when it comes to global culture
You actually have to give Jude praise for his ability at masking being absolutely dog shit on the ball for the entirety of the game by box crashing and poaching. Athletic Kuyt/MΓΌller archetype.
Brazil are just ass and Neymar is the last of a bygone era in the sport. There wont be players like that coming out of Brazil or anywhere else in the world anymore. Everything after will be Haaland clones or some kind of imitation thereof.