The 2026 FIFA World Cup is wrapping up, and by almost any measure, it has been a logistical mountain. The United States carried the heaviest load of the three-nation hosting arrangement, putting on 78 matches across 11 cities. Two games remain: a third-place contest in Miami and the final in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Reviews of the American hosting effort have been, to borrow a diplomatic word, mixed. Stadium infrastructure drew genuine praise. Getting fans to and from those stadiums, less so.

The biggest sporting event in history, and crypto barely showed up

Here is the thing about a 48-team World Cup, the largest format the tournament has ever used: it is a marketing vehicle of almost incomprehensible scale….