World Cup fans from Europe to Asia and the Middle East are posting viral reactions to American food and customs, from Waffle House breakfasts to the sheer scale of Walmart. The tournament, the first on North American soil in over two decades, is offering a real-time showcase of American life—and many visitors say they're pleasantly surprised.
One Scottish supporter, part of the Tartan Army, tearfully thanked Bostonians in a widely shared video. “The America we are experiencing is the one we were promised growing up,” she said, contrasting her warm reception with fears of encountering ICE or a hostile political climate.
In cities like Kansas City, Atlanta, and Seattle, fans have marveled at free drink refills, ice in sodas, and massive portions. An English visitor filmed himself inside a Walmart, amazed he could buy car parts, a flat-screen TV, and a rifle all under one roof. But the biggest hit has been the food—especially fried chicken and ranch dressing.
“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!!” Ranch dressing became so popular that the Transportation Security Administration issued a reminder: it's technically a liquid and must go in checked luggage.
One influencer who traveled to the US for the World Cup warned Europeans: “Be prepared to come back considerably heavier than when you went out there. When I tell you the food is good in America, I have to go on a weight loss bootcamp every time I come home.”
The warmth isn't limited to food. In Lawrence, Kansas, more than 500 locals greeted the Algerian national team at the airport, and a high school band learned their anthem. The Boston Red Sox issued a statement praising the Tartan Army after hundreds of Scottish fans marched to Fenway Park with bagpipes.
Observers say these interactions are a form of public diplomacy. “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,” said Peter Loge, a professor at George Washington University. “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.”
Andrés Martinez, co-director of Arizona State University’s Great Game Lab, noted that even Buc-ee's has become a star. “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.”
The positive buzz comes at a time of global tension over President Trump's foreign policy agenda. For many visitors, the experience has been a corrective to negative media portrayals. As one fan put it, “The America we are experiencing is the one we were promised growing up.”
Read more about the political undercurrents of the World Cup's opening week and how the Tartan Army drained Boston's Sam Adams supply.
