World Cup tourists see the real America — and – Latest News
Bright pink fire vehicles. Walmart’s cathedral of abundance. The miracle of free refills.
These are simply a few of the American wonders World Cup tourists are encountering during their travels by the heartland — and they’ll’t appear to get enough of them.
Visitors from throughout the world are documenting their journeys throughout the United States on social media, a lot to the delight of each American who doesn’t assume patriotism is a soiled phrase.
スタジアム近くのWalmartで透明バッグ売ってました。レジの近くには公式にも出ていた20オンスの水もありました。ワールドカップグッズ以外にも、沢山見るものあるので楽しい場所でした！試合前は激混みでしょうから、今のうちに🙆♂️#ワールドカップ #texas #dallas pic.twitter.com/xeSv9T7tMp— 柏想い@柏レイソルを西日本から応援 (@KashiwaOmoi) June 13, 2026
“A place like this could ONLY exist in America and I LOVE it,” posted Sean from Scotland as he toured a Texas Buc-ees in abject astonishment.
“The vibes are insane!” exclaimed Freddy from Germany whereas road-tripping by Louisiana to New Orleans.
And Elsa from Sweden is demanding of X, “Why did no one tell me ranch sauce is like crack?”
They’re eating at Waffle House and Chick-Fil-A, reporting from the entrance traces with unfettered pleasure.
They’re discovering nation music and pleasant strangers as they’re flooded with suggestions from locals welcoming them with open arms.
It’s a uncommon sighting: Not the Europeans of their skinny-jean shorts — we see them usually in massive American cities like New York and Washington — however their outpouring of love and assist for the United States itself.
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A typical doom-scroll by social media these days will rapidly produce a litany of what’s improper with America, how each day life is terrible (Door Dash is so costly!) and how unlucky we’re to stay on this air-conditioned, food-rich land.
A current examine discovered that solely 41% of Zoomers, who received the beginning lottery by arriving on this world on the soil of one of our great 50 states, declare they’re proud to be Americans.
Just a British lady in America having fun with the tradition This was the best chicken I’ve ever had. Don’t even get me began on the sauce, what on earth do they put in it to make it style so good. pic.twitter.com/u5c4nn3uhg— Leah Ray (@LeahRay44) June 12, 2026
Enter the tourists, expressing pure bliss as they make their method by the hinterlands.
As an immigrant myself, I’m under no circumstances shocked.
I nonetheless keep in mind my very first sighting of a yellow college bus, that magical machine I’d solely ever seen in films — identical to the one which spurred Elsa to “scream with excitement” when she noticed it.
Yes I noticed a yellow college bus, yes I screamed with pleasure— Elsa (@elsathora) June 9, 2026
I vividly recall my first encounters with peanut butter, cowboy hats and Target.
The native-born could discover it amusing, however for us newcomers, America was the land we noticed on TV and in the films.
Many of us, from Israel to Nigeria, grew up watching “Friends,” blasting Jay-Z from our little European automobiles, and asking anybody visiting the Land of the Free to convey back some sizzling Cheetos (OK, perhaps that was simply me).
The cultural affect of America is obvious in the incontrovertible fact that many of us communicate English so properly (thanks, “Beverly Hills 90210” and Conan O’Brien) and is seen in the garments we put on, the stars we glance up to and the goals we’ve pursued — many of which may solely be fulfilled right here.
Some Americans could look down their noses at the stars (and stripes) in our eyes, rapidly mentioning what’s improper right here somewhat than what’s proper, as one in 5 Americans did not too long ago when requested by the Pew Research Center what makes them proud of their nation.
Shootings, political strife and rising costs aren’t issues we should always dismiss, however the relative security and lots we take pleasure in in comparison with situations in lots of different nations makes the trade-off a no-brainer.
W杯でアメリカ行かれる方へ
宿泊先のホテル近くに Texas Roadhouse があったら即GO‼チェーン系のレストランですけどコスパ最強のステーキが食べられます。 特に Ribeye が最高 pic.twitter.com/2Oea7xAhvq— Mr.Okay (@Realsociedad10m) June 11, 2026
So perhaps more Americans ought to set their telephones apart for a whereas and go to the mountains of Washington or discuss to strangers in Texas to see this place by the eyes of those that marvel in any respect we’ve taken with no consideration.
Not solely is our homeland jam-packed with beautiful sights (“I’m in a place right now that’s so beautiful I’m probably about to make 50 posts about it,” raved Freddy of Alabama’s Gulf Coast), it’s additionally the land the place we will say no matter we wish, buy no matter we wish and vote nonetheless we like.
Just had our first Waffle House expertise at 1am. Great food, great costs, and pleasant employees. 10/10, we might be coming back.😋 pic.twitter.com/QHgftpqfoX— Freddy🇩🇪 (@FreddyLA7) June 8, 2026
It’s a place the place mother and father fear about the place to ship their youngsters to high school, not whether or not to ship them to struggle; a place the place people who as soon as needed to line up for food they may barely afford now have a arduous time selecting from all the soda choices at the Five Guys self-serve.
It’s the land of pleasant faces, Nerds Gummy Clusters and, for the most half, clean and secure streets.
Next time you see a grey squirrel, get caught in site visitors behind a yellow college bus or cross by a Texas Roadhouse (that includes “the best cost-performance steak,” Mr. Okay from Japan gushed), assume of the hundreds of people round the world whose telephones at the moment are bursting with photographs of these on a regular basis points of interest — and who’re already planning their subsequent go to to the place we’re lucky to call home.
Yael Bar tur is an Israeli residing in New York and creator of “Everyone on the Internet Hates You” on Substack. X: @yaelbt.
