I went to the World Cup final. Here's what got fans cheering — and crying.

For the past few weeks, soccer has taken over America. Everyone became obsessed with a 6'5" Norwegian. The TSA had to beg tourists to stop packing ranch in their carry-on suitcases. And we all learned that Argentine soccer icon Lionel Messi once gave Spain's Lamine Yamal a bath.

All of this fanfare came to a head on Sunday at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina. At the invitation of Verizon to experience their new Verizon Shine loyalty program, I was one of 80,000 people spending the blisteringly hot afternoon in the stands at MetLife Stadium (rebranded as New York New Jersey Stadium for the tournament) in East Rutherford, N.J. I got to enjoy pitchside access and catch behind-the-scenes details TV viewers missed. I was able to witness the first World Cup halftime show in history, followed by a nail-biting Spanish victory in extra time, in the flesh. And I learned just what it's like to attend one of the biggest sporting events in the world — and see how they pulled it all off.

Source: Yahoo Entertainment →