Veteran Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan has shared his thoughts on the FIFA World Cup 2026, saying some decisions during the tournament have appeared “unfair” while praising lesser-known teams for exceeding expectations on football’s biggest stage.
In a post on his Tumblr blog, the actor reflected on the excitement of the tournament and how its late-night match schedule has disrupted his daily routine, Hindustan Times reported.
“The timelines and the idea of time have gone awry… the reason, of course, is the World Cup 2026,” Amitabh wrote. He added that although the match timings have made daily life difficult, fans continue to watch, cheer and sometimes feel disappointed.
The actor also questioned what he described as unequal decisions during matches.
“We see with great distress the unfair decisions being made for one and not for the other,” he wrote, adding that many traditional football powerhouses had suffered unexpected exits, while several unfancied teams had impressed by reaching the latter stages of the competition.
“They keep saying, ‘May the best team win’, but we never know who the best team is until the results come out,” he added.
Amitabh also reflected on the unique nature of international football, where players who compete against each other in club competitions later unite to represent their countries.
He compared the situation to the Indian Premier League (IPL), where cricketers play for different franchises before coming together for the national team.
“Friendly off the turf, competitive on it because they represent their country… it’s a strange situation, but the game goes on. Like in IPL, the players play for different team franchises and become competitors for each other. But when they are all put together for the national team, they are one. It needs character,” he wrote.
The actor also praised the rapid progress of younger generations, saying today’s youth are benefiting from opportunities that were unavailable to many older people.
“The rapidity of change towards betterment is a boon,” he wrote, adding that although older generations may wonder why such progress did not come earlier, it is satisfying to know younger people will benefit from it in the years ahead.
Concluding the post, Amitabh said he was looking forward to spending some time in the sun after not seeing it for months.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has entered its final week after a month of football across North America. England, Argentina, Spain and France remain in contention after progressing through the knockout rounds.
The tournament could also undergo another major expansion in the future. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that world football’s governing body will discuss a proposal to increase the 2030 FIFA World Cup from 48 to 64 teams, just one edition after expanding the competition to 48 nations.
Meanwhile, Amitabh is currently busy filming the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD.
