And we are on the last day of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but even on the last day, the World Cup has given the fans something to talk about even before the game. Before the anthems of the nations in the final, someone played the USA National Anthem, and the fans were not happy.

“I honestly do not understand why the USA national anthem needs to be sung before this match. It ain’t about the US, it’s about Spain and Argentina. Who gives a f**k if it’s in a stadium in the US,” wrote a fan talking about the matter.

For generations, the FIFA World Cup final has always belonged to the two teams that are going after soccer’s biggest prize. But before Argentina and Spain stepped onto the field, the first anthem heard inside New York New Jersey Stadium belonged to the United States.  

Jennifer Hudson performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” during FIFA’s final ceremony before the finalists’ traditional pre-match anthems. That decision immediately became one of the biggest talking points because the United States had been knocked out of the World Cup days ago. 

The reaction was not really about Jennifer Hudson or her performance before. The fans instead asked the question about why the host nation’s anthem was played before soccer’s biggest match between Argentina and Spain.

FIFA presented the performance as part of its expanded closing ceremony before the final match in New Jersey. That also made this final stand apart because previous men’s World Cup finals never opened this way. 

The anthem discussion blended into concerns about how the World Cup has moved towards American-style presentation.  

FIFA also introduced the first halftime show in World Cup final history, featuring several global music stars. Many fans have felt that those additions have shifted attention away from players and the teams in the final.  

Before the game even began, we could clearly see how unhappy the fans were that the US was trying to grab attention, even when they didn’t have to.

“Because Americans are incredibly insecure and self-centered and everything needs to be about them in some way,” said one fan. While another backed him by saying, “Honestly cannot wait for this tournament to be over, hope they never host again.”

And this criticism isn’t just about the National Anthem; it is about everything else that the USA has handled over the World Cup.

It all started with Iran and how they treated their team. Some authorities did not issue visas to some staff, and some officials were also denied entry. And they had to shift their training facility to Mexico from Arizona. And then the authorities only allowed them into the US 24 hours before the game and required them to leave the US the same day they played the game.

“Bc everything needs to be about them,” perfectly sums up the emotions. The next thing that had fans pulling their hair out was the Balogun red-card incident. And the frustration wasn’t about FIFA changing the decision. It was how the political world somehow got intertwined with sports. All these added to the emotions and made the National Anthem seem bigger than it needs to be.