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Soccer fans from around the world are expressing amazement and amusement at the food, customs and culture of the United States during the first two weeks of the World Cup.
Supporters of countries from Europe to Asia and the Middle East are steadily posting on social media, in many cases praising their experiences at bars, convenience stores and restaurants, soaking in all aspects of American life as they travel across the U.S. to cheer on their clubs.
Some of the posts online have been lighthearted and comical. Others have been more heartfelt and emotional.
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“I’d like to do a wee video to the people of Boston, just to say thank you,” one woman who traveled with the Tartan Army, a nickname for Scotland’s supporters, said in one viral post, tearing up as she spoke.
“The America we are experiencing is the one we were promised growing up. We were apprehensive about coming, we were expecting to be met by ICE, you know the political climate we all see on the news, and that could not be further from the truth of what we’ve actually experienced,” she added, referencing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
As their teams competed in group stage matches, fans in cities including Kansas City, Atlanta and Seattle have expressed joy at eating at breakfast chains like Waffle House or said their minds have been blown walking through big box warehouse stores like Bass Pro Shops and Walmart.
One man from England posted a video from inside a Walmart reveling at the fact he could purchase car parts, a flat-screen television and a rifle all under one roof.
But the biggest point of chatter among tourists from around the world has been the quality and quantity of food options in the U.S.
Some said they were surprised to see soft drinks come with ice and free refills or posted videos with their mouths agape as servers brought entrees to the table.
“I think American food is very tasty, but it has a lot of calories, man,” one World Cup traveler told CBS News.
“THIS IS THE BEST FRIED CHICKEN FOOD EVER. THE SAUCE MANNN,” wrote Scotland supporter Blair McNally after visiting a Raising Cane’s in Boston. “WE NEED THIS IN THE UK!!”
One of the most popular items among foreign visitors has turned out to be ranch dressing, prompting the Transportation Security Administration to issue a warning to travelers reminding them that the condiment is technically a liquid.
“If you’re visiting for a very large sporting event & you happen to discover RANCH while you’re here… pls pack it in your CHECKED BAG on the way home,” the agency wrote on social media.
“My advice to Europeans is simple, be prepared to come back considerably heavier than when you went out there,” one online influencer who traveled to the U.S. for the World Cup said in a recent post. “When I tell you the food is good in America, I have to go on a weight loss bootcamp every time I come home.”
Since the tournament’s opening matches, social feeds and headlines have also been filled with stories of local American communities embracing teams and their supporters from around the globe.
In Lawrence, Kan., the Algerian national team was met by more than 500 people at the local airport to welcome it ahead of competition in Kansas City, Mo., the AP reported, while members of a local high school band learned and played the team’s national anthem.
The Boston Red Sox of MLB issued a statement praising the Tartan Army after hundreds of Scottish supporters marched to the team’s June 14 game in Boston while bagpipes blared.
Observers say the buzz among foreign nationals visiting the U.S. about American food and customs could help America’s reputation at a time of global tension about President Trump’s foreign policy agenda.
“I have to say, I’m surprised that one of the stars so far of this World Cup is Buc-ee’s,” said Andrés Martinez, a soccer author and co-director of Arizona State University’s Great Game Lab. “I’m less surprised by the sort of wonderful people-to-people exchanges that allow all of the predetermined anxieties about geopolitics to sort of take a back seat.”
Others say this year’s World Cup, the first played on North American soil in more than two decades, is serving as an opportunity for the U.S. to shore up its reputation on the global stage.
“All of these things, which they think are fantastic and we take for granted, are great to be able to brag about to the rest of the world, which is often skeptical of the U.S.,” said Peter Loge, a professor of communication at George Washington University and soccer enthusiast. “A lot of people over there only know about the U.S. from TV or movies. This is public diplomacy and soft power at its best. It’s also a reminder to the American people we are good people and at our best when we’re together.”
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