America is awesome!!
As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America, it took a wave of soccer fans flooding into the country for the World Cup to remind us of that.
Fans from across the world have been documenting their trips across the United States on social media, often amazed that their experiences are not necessarily what they were expecting. The people they have encountered are much different than how they are generally portrayed in the media.
Some arrived with trepidation. One woman posted that she expected to be met by ICE upon arrival. Another fan from Germany was worried about coming to the U.S. after seeing news of shootings.
Their preconceived notions about the country were quickly diminished as they began to soak up our culture and see the real America, not just the news generated in major cities and the political fights that occur in Washington, D.C. People whose only conception of America is what they have seen on cable news or read on social media have found that reality is quite different, especially when you travel through the heart of the country.
International fans have been amazed at their experiences at restaurants and convenience stores that we take for granted.
They discovered ranch dressing and fried chicken and were stunned at the food options and quantities available. In between soccer matches, they’ve gone to baseball games. A group of fans from England randomly started a fan club for the Braves’ Michael Harris during a game. Harris greeted the fans after the game.
Michael Harris II greeted his English fan section after the game and traded his hat for one of their jerseys pic.twitter.com/43i6rYyHeE https://t.co/9IZJVs1gW8
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 2, 2026
Others have remarked about just how expansive the United States is, how big our homes are, and how much space there is.
Moreover, the international fans have met Americans and interacted with real people, leaving some emotional.
The same German man who was worried about traveling to the United States told a local news station in Boston that he now wanted to stay longer because of the experiences he had with the people here.
From Buc-ee’s to Bass Pro Shops, international fans have been amazed by what America has to offer, what we often don’t appreciate.
Our politics are messy, and America has its own problems. Americans have everyday struggles they must overcome, but the World Cup has been a unique opportunity to see the country through someone else’s eyes.
In a viral post, one soccer fan said, “I kinda understand why a lot of Americans never leave the country, like why would you? It has everything.”
Despite our challenges, the American Dream is still as true today as it ever was.
It just took a bunch of international soccer fans to remind us that America is awesome!!!