Grading the 2026 World Cup from Spain's A to Infantino's F - ESPN

What the report says

ESPN published a post-tournament assessment of the 2026 World Cup, presenting the event through a report-card format after the competition had concluded. Based on the headline and available snippet, the piece grades a range of teams and prominent figures who became widely recognizable to audiences in North America during the tournament.

The headline indicates that Spain received one of the strongest evaluations, described as an “A,” while FIFA president Gianni Infantino was assigned an “F.” The limited available text does not provide ESPN’s detailed reasoning, the full set of grades, match-by-match analysis, or the specific incidents behind the praise and criticism. As a result, the article should be understood as an ESPN analysis or opinion-style review rather than a straightforward news report on a single result.

The timing is significant because the 2026 World Cup was staged across North America, with the United States, Mexico and Canada serving as co-hosts. As broader context, the tournament was also the first men’s World Cup planned with an expanded 48-team field, making organizational performance, competitive balance, travel logistics and fan experience especially relevant themes for post-event evaluation.

For readers, the ESPN piece appears to offer a final judgment on who enhanced their reputation and who fell short during the tournament. However, without the full article text, only the broad framing can be confirmed: ESPN assessed the completed World Cup by assigning grades to selected teams and individuals, with Spain and Infantino highlighted at opposite ends of the scale.