It was quite a contrast touching down in sleepy Kansas City hours after having witnessed the bedlam on the streets of New York when the Knicks won the NBA Finals and Brazil drew with Morocco. But this is a World Cup full of contrasts, from Fifa’s never-ending quest to make a quick buck ($5 a pop for a bottle of water in the media centre) to the warmth shown by locals encountered in the Big Apple, Kansas City and Dallas. Then there’s the football. It’s been hard to keep up with the volume of matches, but the opening round served up some classics, with DR Congo’s draw against Portugal on the same day as England beat Croatia capping a thrilling first week of action.
US Embraces Football Amid Growing Pains
It took nearly the full opening round, but a US scene that is usually focused on other sports has fully turned its eyes to football. At times this state of affairs has been awkward, like when the standard sports talk shows are forced to reckon with international football being the top talking point and employing nobody that knows the scene. But these are growing pains. The sport is on at bars and delis, discussed at school pickups and on the rides home.
In Texas, the World Cup means everything and absolutely nothing. Mexico, Brazil and Colombia followers pack out bars in Houston’s East Downtown district; stadiums in Dallas are filled with Ronaldo 7 shirt wearers with local accents. But a 5,000-strong Republican party convention had not registered the tournament, numerous Uber drivers were blissfully unaware of how soccer works, and a town 100 miles from the big city may as well be on another planet. This country is big enough to host a vibrant World Cup; it is simultaneously capable of hosting one that passes entirely unnoticed.
Stadiums and Scale
A few days in Los Angeles serve as a reminder of the sheer scale of this World Cup. The city spans 44 miles from north to south, eclipsing the distance between the two stadiums furthest apart in Qatar four years ago. The huge SoFi Stadium is a spaceship-like arena with a teardrop-shaped canopy. The co-hosts have not hit every note but they know how to build best-in-class stadiums.
Donald Trump’s absence from the US’s opening win over Paraguay was a pleasant surprise for Fifa, which feared the circus surrounding the president would overshadow the tournament. Trump has kept a low profile; catcalls and boos at the NBA Finals may have dissuaded him from attending. Knicks fans may have done Fifa a favour, though Trump is expected to attend the final.
The sheer scale of the US has left observers open-mouthed: freeways miles and miles long, downtown districts of concrete with little character. There isn’t much popping out for things on foot. The mega screen at the stadium in Dallas is an immersive cinematic experience. The craziest moment? A tornado warning in Kansas City, accompanied by a high-pitched tone from speakers on the streets for about an hour.
Food, Fans, and Football Quality
First impressions include free ice-cream with sprinkles, cookies, and M&Ms in the press area at the stadium in Atlanta. After South Africa drew with Czechia, their manager complained that this isn’t a football stadium. But it is, and it’s brilliant: a downtown ground you can walk to, not some horrible out-of-town place on a giant boiling car park, making the atmosphere much better. People are lovely.
The strikers have been phenomenal. The Sweden demolition of Tunisia with the Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres combo was timeless. Then came Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, and Harry Kane. After a run of tournaments focused on creative forwards, the big goalgetters are turning up.
The standard of international football has never been higher. Even supposed minnows are well coached, well prepared, and physically impressive. Cape Verde are the obvious example. Haiti were competitive against Scotland, Norway’s win over Iraq was closer than the score suggested, and Saudi Arabia looked strong. The bar has undeniably been raised among the lowest ranked sides.
Mixed Engagement and Format Concerns
In New York/New Jersey and Philadelphia, there is no ambience outside stadiums indicating a World Cup. On the day South Africa played Czechia in Atlanta, New Yorkers were focused on the Knicks’ ticker-tape parade. But Ecuador had more than 60,000 supporters at Philadelphia Stadium for their defeat to Côte d’Ivoire, as if playing at home.
Following this World Cup has been like cramming a vast multi-layered super-sandwich into your mouth while sous chefs keep adding more. The number of games has been dizzying and utterly moreish. Stadiums have been very good. The big surprise of America is a good one: for all its flaws, America remains the most thrillingly omni-cultured nation of immigrants on earth.
It turns out there were more than 32 worthy qualifiers, though 48 may be stretching it. The expanded format has sucked jeopardy from opening group games, as third place in eight of 12 groups goes through. Uncertainty around the progression threshold has disempowered World Cup prognostication. Is that a fair sacrifice for fewer dead rubbers? Ask again in a week.
The mid-west charm in Kansas City is a reminder that the US is more than what you see on the news. Extreme weather is tough: heat and humidity in the afternoon, tornado warnings in the evening. It’s hard not to eat meat; chicken feels like the vegetarian option. Interest in football is mixed. The USMNT’s opening game was on in a hotel lobby; a group of Americans watched baseball on another TV and occasionally checked the score. But then a Chelsea fan was spotted during Mexico v South Korea, knowing his football.
The football has been great, far more open than feared, with big performances from big players and teams, and enough surprises for intrigue. Off the pitch, it has been chaotic. Mexico seems overwhelmed by the World Cup’s size, imposing work-from-home mandates to ease traffic, while wifi and media facilities at stadiums have been shambolic. Food is great, coffee mediocre. Jet lag is a right bastard, and the weather is significantly wetter than anticipated.
