'Canadians may be good skiers'; Maradona's 2018 prediction comes true

Argentina’s sporting deity and legend, late Diego Maradona’s 2018 prediction about the ill effects of conducting the Football World Cup in US is now going viral on social media. Maradona, known for his transgressions apart from being one of the best football players to ever grace the field, died at the age of 60 on November 25, 2020, following a heart attack.

It was in 2018 that FIFA officially confirmed that the 2026 World Cup would be conducted in United States, Canada and Mexico. Shortly after the announcement, Maradona appeared in a television interview and expressed his premonition.

“The football’s traditional format will be altered. Americans will divide the match into four halves to insert advertisements. You will see. Canadians may be good skiers, but there is no passion for Football,” said Maradona.

Like what Maradona prophesied, the FIFA 2026 World Cup 2026 is divided into four halves to allow time for hydration breaks. The fans are not too supportive of the new introduction, as it is normal for spectators to boo whenever the referee blows the whistle, indicating the break.

England coach Thomas Tuchel had criticised the breaks, saying that it has changed the identity of the game. Tuchel said while it was necessary to have breaks to fight the sweltering climate, it need not be this longer.