Hundreds of thousands of soccer fans traveled to North America from around the world for World Cup matches. Some travelers had expressed apprehension about visiting the United States. Based on news stories and stereotypes, they thought Americans might be unfriendly towards outsiders and uninterested in soccer.
But many globe-trekking fans say they have received a warm welcome from Americans. Many are embracing parts of American culture such as free refills, huge department stores, and ranch dressing.
“Something new for me is how friendly and outgoing everyone is,” says a Swiss fan from Zurich.
Experts say that international sports events like the World Cup do a lot to promote friendly international relations.
“The front porch of your house is the first thing [visitors experience] before they ever step inside,” says Darin White, founder of Samford University’s Sports Industry Program. “Sports serves that same function for cities, states, and countries.”
Because communities across North America are hosting games this year, international fans are traveling beyond the big cities normally popular with tourists like New York and Los Angeles. They are discovering places like Kansas City, Missouri; Atlanta, Georgia; and Orlando, Florida.
Argentines showed up in Kansas City to see their team play against Algeria last week. Asado barbecue is a traditional Argentine meal, so fans were excited to try the Kansas “dry rub” version of barbecue.
“The Argentinean barbecue is my favorite. But this one is really good,” says Argentinian supporter Cristian Gastes.
“People are simply having fun and enjoying each other’s company, learning about other cultures and embracing them wholeheartedly,” Boston, Massachusetts, resident Shawn Moran told ABC News. He enjoyed watching Scottish fans sing in pubs and march in the streets.
Some Americans stepped in to cheer on teams whose home country fans couldn’t travel to matches. The U.S. government has placed partial or total travel bans on citizens from Iran, Haiti, Ivory Coast, and Senegal.
So Jessica Ambres from Brooklyn, New York, attended a match in New Jersey to cheer for Senegal against France. “I’m in the bloodiest of the nosebleeds but I hope they can hear me down there on the pitch,” she said.
The Bible says to show love to sojourners in our communities. (Deuteronomy 10:18-19) Sometimes this may look like cheering at a soccer match!
