The World Cup has brought together the most competitive countries in soccer to compete for the title of football’s greatest. The 2026 FIFA World Cup welcomed 48 national teams, a 16-team increase from the 2023 World Cup, which featured 32 teams. The expansion and the USA playing co-host for the first time since 1994 have caused many age-old social media debates, and concerns are being answered during the World Cup as different cultures and countries collide on one soil.
One of the debates on social media was how people, especially those from the UK, adjust to American culture, with many cultural differences in food and entertainment.
A social media user named John, who visited Orlando, said that Big Gulps from popular convenience store chain 7-Eleven are “easily one of my favorite things I’ve discovered in America so far.”
Swedish fan Elsa is going viral for her endearing reactions to American comfort food she found in Indiana, including a popular dipping sauce that absolutely blew her mind. “Why did no one tell me ranch sauce is like crack? EUROPE, WE NEED RANCH ASAP.”
Elsa also went viral for her reaction to her first breakfast in America — hash browns with gravy and eggs. She also grabbed some Twinkies and Combos from a nearby convenience store, saying, “I feel like I’m in a movie.”
Overall, she gave America a great review. “Indiana is exactly how I dreamed America would be: small towns, wide open spaces, cornfields, barns, cute houses, diners, water towers, friendly people, great food, American flags everywhere, and so much more!”
“What Americans consider ordinary is often extraordinary to visitors,” Dr. Rachel J.C. Fu, chair of the Department of Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management and director of the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute at the University of Florida, told ABC News.
“Travel researchers have long found that tourists do not simply consume landmarks; they consume daily life,” she said. “A giant supermarket aisle, free ice water, refillable drinks, or a cheerful grocery clerk may be just another Tuesday for Americans, but for someone visiting from Scotland, Brazil, or Japan, these experiences are fascinating cultural discoveries.”
One German fan named Freddy is going viral for his unfiltered reactions as he explores Atlanta and beyond. He loved the stadium and the city’s lush greenery but was intimidated by their public transit. Freddy, who has gathered the attention of all Americans as he detailed his experience, referring to Taco Bell as “the holy land,” which caught people off guard, as Taco Bell is considered mid-tier food for most.
Marina De Buchi, a British entrepreneur and content creator who moved to California last year after years of dreaming about living in the United States, told ABC News that many of the reactions she’s seeing from World Cup visitors mirror her own when she first arrived. “A lot of people say Americans are fake, and I just don’t think that’s true,” De Buchi said. “I think Americans are just really nice and friendly.”
Boston started the World Cup by hosting Cape Verde for its historic first-ever appearance, sparking massive celebrations across Massachusetts, with Boston and Brockton at the heart of the festivities. Now the Scots are taking over Massachusetts for its next cultural exchange.
“Over the past week, you can’t go anywhere in Boston without seeing fans in kilts walking around,” Jim Rooney, president and CEO of the Boston Chamber of Commerce, told ABC News. “They’ve been all over the place, and it’s brought some energy and life.” Some Scottish fans have deemed Boston “New Scotland.”
A Scottish visitor staying in Boston said, “The America we are experiencing right now is the America we were promised growing up…we were expecting to be met by ICE agents, aggressive police, and the political climate we all see on the news, and that could not be further from the truth of what we’ve actually experienced here…honestly, every single person we’ve come across has been ‘out of this world.’”
Fu said the World Cup provides a unique opportunity for cultural exchange that extends beyond soccer. “The World Cup is one of the greatest cultural classrooms on Earth,” she said, adding, “Communities discover that despite different accents and team loyalties, people share far more similarities than differences.”
Another Japanese journalist, Mai Kosugi, was in Nashville when she wrote: “From the perspective of a Universal Studios annual pass holder, it feels so similar that you’d think you’d come back home.”
Many Americans have expressed gratitude on social media, thanking foreigners for being open-minded and fully experiencing our culture amongst all the hateful things that have been done and said through the media. One person wrote, “It’s like the entire world came to bring us home and remind us who we are. Who we’ve been, who we want to be.”
In a lighthearted but equally accurate assessment, another person wrote, “The World Cup being held in the US feels like getting to have a sleepover with the cousins you love but don’t get to see often because your parents don’t get along.”
The FIFA President Gianni Infantino highlights how ‘Football Unites the World’ remains FIFA’s flagship campaign since its launch during the previous event at the FIFA World Cup 2022™.
FIFA’s social impact campaigns showcase the FIFA World Cup as a powerful celebration of unity, diversity, and shared passion.
“Through our Football Unites the World, No Racism and Be Active campaigns, FIFA aims to use football’s unique power to build bridges and convey a strong message to promote peace, education, anti-racism, and a healthy lifestyle.” Infantino said. “We invite the global football community to join us and champion these fundamental causes that transcend football and the FIFA World Cup.”
Football Unites the World celebrates football’s power as a unifying force and how the shared experience of the game creates genuine human connection. The message has reached and engaged millions of people worldwide. Through various players featured at the FIFA World Cup 2026, the latest edition of the campaign demonstrates how people’s love for the game makes everyone part of the biggest team on earth while also promoting messages of unity and physical health.
