Harmony, disunity, the World Cup & eternity

The 2026 World Cup has already generated a mixture of excellence, shock and national joy as the world’s best teams compete for the greatest trophy of them all in the Americas.

As someone who resides north of the border, it was an unusual joy to witness Scotland’s first win on this stage since 1990, which brought scenes of celebration across the country and a peak audience of over two million, despite the game kicking off at two o'clock in the morning (BST).

Across the pond, an estimated 30,000 or so of the "Tartan Army" have endeared themselves to their Boston hosts, who have been delightfully amused by some of the best of what the nation has to offer, whether that be early morning bagpipe renditions, constant joviality or even the placing of traffic cones upon various monuments and statues across the city (if you know, you know).