- Alex Ovechkin took in the 2026 World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium with his wife, Nastya
- The Capitals captain loved the atmosphere and had nothing nice to say about the match itself
- Read below for Ovechkin’s full comments and Nastya’s verdict on the New Jersey heat
Alex Ovechkin got the full World Cup Final experience earlier this month. He just wasn’t sold on the soccer part.
The Capitals captain sat through Spain’s 1-0 win over Argentina at MetLife Stadium on July 19 with his wife, Nastya Ovechkina. Match TV’s Pavel Lysenkov asked him what he took away from the day.
“The atmosphere was fantastic,” Ovechkin said, in comments translated by RMNB. “I didn’t like the game, though. It was boring. But I got a huge boost of emotion. It was great. It was incredibly hot, though.”
Ovechkina posted her own look at the scene from inside the stadium:
The heat was the part she could not get past. She filmed herself in the stands during the match and delivered a verdict on her husband’s career choice.
“I’ve realized one thing: I’m so lucky my husband plays hockey instead of soccer. Because the heat here is intense. It’s just unreal, impossible to sit through. I’m gasping for air.”
She finished with a thank-you. “So, thank you so much, Alexander Mikhailovich, for playing hockey.”
Her husband leaned into the frame and blew a kiss. “All for you, my love,” Ovechkin said.
Watch the whole exchange:
Temperatures reached the mid-80s that afternoon under a blazing sun with about 40 percent humidity. An NHL building sits somewhere between 58 and 65 degrees.
Ferran Torres settled the final early in the second half of extra time, which cost Lionel Messi a second straight title. Ovechkin has called Messi his favorite player in the sport, and he picked up an Argentina jersey signed by him at Fanatics Fest in New York the day before the game.
His pretournament pick was Brazil or Spain, so he had the winner anyway.
The trip also put him in a hotel elevator with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who recognized him and posed for a photo that Nastya took.
Washington’s captain is back home in Russia for a few more weeks before training camp opens. He turns 41 on September 17 with a 22nd NHL season in front of him.
