World Cup winner &#8216;sad&#8217; Mexico and Canada were overshadowed by USA &#8211; &#8216;No empathy for them&#8217;

Jul 21, 2026 - 14:00

Emmanuel Petit believes the United States overshadowed co-hosts Canada and Mexico during the World Cup, and has again expressed worry about the Americanisation of football.

Games took place across 16 cities this summer, with three hosts in Mexico, and two in Canada.

Rodri 16 of Spain is presented the FIFA World Cup Winners Trophy by U.S. President Donald Trump after the team's victory following during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina — Canada and Mexico were overshadowed as World Cup co-hosts, Petit believes

While the opening fixture unfolded at the historic Azteca Stadium, and Canada played all three of their group games on home turf, matches from the quarterfinals onwards took place solely in the US which had 11 host cities.

The World Cup final, won by Spain over Argentina, was played at MetLife Stadium, a venue on the outskirts of New York which has long been criticised by fans.

With the curtain now drawn, Petit doubled down on his criticism of how the tournament was Americanized, having feared the worst earlier in the tournament.

The former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder told talkSPORT he felt Canada and Mexico had been overshadowed by the madness of a US-centric tournament that debuted much-criticized hydration breaks and an extended half-time show.

Emmanuel Petit hits out at Americanisation of football

“I was sad for Canada and Mexico. Because there was no empathy for them, no messages for them,” he told Alex Brooker on the How To Win The World Cup podcast.

“It’s like the whole competition was organized in America. You take away everything else. It’s always America, America, America, all the time.

“FIFA tried during the whole competition to make soccer an American sport. And I really hate it.

“I hope for the next World Cup, we won’t get the cooling breaks anymore. I hope we won’t get a 30-minute break during half-time to see this pathetic show.

“For me, it was pathetic. Even those famous people on the pitch, they were not convinced at all of what they were doing. We could see that from outside.

“They tried their best to make the show on the pitch. But come on, this is not the Super Bowl. This is football. So stick with it, keep our tradition and get away from this horrible thing.”

Former AS Monaco player Emmanuel Petit (L) walks next to the pitch ahead of the French L1 football match between Monaco (ASM) and Montpellier (MHSC) at the Louis-II Stadium in Monaco on September 28, 2024 — World Cup winner Petit claims Canada and Mexico were overshadowed by Americanisation of the tournament

A general view of fireworks during the halftime show of the 2026 World Cup football tournament final match between Spain and Argentina at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on July 19, 2026 — He believes the World Cup doesn’t need a half-time show like the Super Bowl

Petit, who won the World Cup with France in 1998, added he was ‘worried’ for the future of the competition, and noted that England using the Oasis hit Wonderful to celebrate with fans after games was a factor in taking the focus off the sport itself.

FIFA losing ‘tradition and culture’ of World Cup

Each nation was given a specific goal anthem by FIFA, as well as celebration tracks played after the final whistle.

Petit continued: “I love music… I know that the show is very important, but I think it’s going too far, honestly.

“Maybe I’m too old, maybe I’m old-fashioned.

“But the way FIFA is managing the competition now, I’m worried for the future, to be honest with you.

“It’s going to lose some tradition, the culture. I think the football I lived in the past, there is no comparison with what’s happening actually.

Players of England thank fans after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter Final match between Norway and England at Miami Stadium on July 11, 2026 — England players and fans celebrated to Wonderwall after World Cup wins

French midfielder Emmanuel Petit (3rL) cheers with his teammates after his goal 24 June at the Gerland stadium in Lyon, central France, during the 1998 Soccer World Cup Group C first round third match between France and Denmark — Petit believes the World Cup has lost its tradition this year

“I know that football has to evolve over time, music, everything. But as I said, I think it’s going too far. We should come back to where we were sometimes before.

“We should focus only on football, nothing else.”

Petit concluded that hydration breaks throughout the tournament, and a half-time show in the final, was ‘pathetic’ to watch and further illustrates the suggestion that FIFA cares more about making money that protecting players.

“I was thinking yesterday, the half-time break, 30 minutes, the cooling break, the extra time. Can you imagine how long the players stayed on the pitch yesterday for the World Cup final?” he asked.

Spain's head coach Luis de la Fuente (top C-R) gives instructions to players during a hydration break during the 2026 World Cup football tournament final match between Spain and Argentina at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on July 19, 2026 — Petit also took aim at the introduction of hydration breaks

“Do you protect football when you do that? No. Do you only think about money? Yes.

“Do you care about the image of football in the world? Because fans in a stadium, they have a different view on what’s going on when they are present.

“But from outside, sometimes I had the feeling it was pathetic to watch.”

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