As is always the case in the buildup to a major international sporting event, the months before the World Cup were full of speculative worries.
The ticket prices were crazy, as was the cost of nearly everything else associated with the tournament. The expanded 48-team field had introduced qualifiers of questionable merit. The heat of a North American summer seemed likely to present issues.
These concerns were usually raised with a caveat: It will probably be fine in the end.
Now, with one round of games officially in the books, we can conclude: This World Cup has been not just fine but pretty great. The FIFA president whom everyone loves to hate will be serving up a platter of told-you-so. Gianni wins again. At least for now.
The matches have already delivered the moments that make the World Cup such a special event. Despite so many on-paper mismatches due to the expanded field, several of the minnows have refused to roll over.
Qatar pilfered a point from Switzerland with a late goal. Saudi Arabia managed a draw with Uruguay. The DR Congo did the same with mighty Portugal, one of the most talent-rich squads in the tournament. Cape Verde, an archipelago of 10 small islands off the coast of Africa, pulled off an insane draw with Spain, of all teams. The reigning European champions! And even though plucky Curacao eventually got pantsed 7-1 by Germany, the team enjoyed a seminal moment when it drew level early in the game.
Initial fears suggested that these teams would simply be bulldozed. Instead, they have delivered some of the best scenes of unbridled joy in the tournament.
Plus, the stars have delivered, particularly with Tuesday's brilliant displays from France's Kylian Mbappe (two goals), Norway's Erling Haaland (two goals) and Argentina's Lionel Messi (three goals). England's Harry Kane followed that up with two goals of his own Wednesday, and the race for the Golden Boot is well and truly on.
So many games have been entertaining that it almost calls for an explanation. While skeptics assumed the format, which will see 32 teams advance from the group stage, would lead to many stale contests with participants simply aiming for a dull draw, the opposite has been true. Teams are going for it, perhaps because they're aware that single a loss wouldn't be catastrophic.
All of the fun has just about made up for the things that are consistently annoying about FIFA. There haven't been that many empty seats, but there have been some noticeable gaps in the stands, a reminder that Gianni Infantino's full-gouge pricing policy kept many supporters from attending. The mandated "hydration" breaks - three minutes per half regardless of the weather - are much more of an irritant. On Wednesday night in Toronto, where it was cool and rainy, the sight of play being whistled to a stop was greeted by loud boos. Fans have rightly sniffed out these stoppages for what they are: timeouts that allow for extra TV advertisements.
These pauses, which fundamentally alter a game that's very much about the momentum of open play, are especially bothersome because FIFA is likely to continue deploying them at subsequent tournaments under the guise of player safety. Outcries from the stands might be the only thing that can stop it from happening. Do your thing, people.
There are reasons to wonder if the generally great vibes will persist as the tournament rolls on. Fears of meaningless group-stage games caused by an expanded field could yet materialize, as teams with clear passage to the knockout round will eventually have little to play for. Some of those big-name stars who lit up their first matches may not even play in the third if there's little consequence from the result.
The weather could get worse. The empty seats could appear in numbers if fans bail on matches of lesser importance.
But the most likely scenario, as evidenced by the past week, is that the World Cup will keep on doing what it does: produce moments of drama, skill, heartbreak, and joy.
The potential for these thrilling matches has been the ace in Infantino's pocket all along, even as he's repeatedly introduced changes that drive critics to gnash their teeth.
The World Cup, we are finding out once again, can overcome an awful lot of meddling.
Scott Stinson is a contributing writer for theScore.
