World Cup 2026: Soccer fever caught in America?

John Bennett: Slowly but surely, you can tell that the World Cup is catching the imagination in New York.

The first season I went to an event for soccer fans in Harlem, the tournament was full of people who lived in the US but were originally from the World Cup countries or had a family history of one of the participating teams.

It brought home how many diaspora fans play in the tournament and how much excitement and atmosphere it creates in the stadiums and on the streets.

I remember walking through Greenwich Village for an interview and seeing a group of construction workers and businessmen standing on the pavement outside a bar because something on the TV screen inside caught their eye. what was it The Cape Verdean hero’s final stage ended with a 0-0 draw against Spain. World Cup fever was here.

Ian Dennis: That changed for me when I moved to Atlanta. That’s when fans from different countries converged on a vibrant fan festival in downtown Atlanta that felt like the World Cup.

What surprised me in the Atlanta stadium are the American fans who follow a country but not a real fan. For example, when Spain played against Saudi Arabia, most of the crowd wore red, but they were not Spanish, so it lost the atmosphere.

Liz Conway: My opinion has completely changed. World Cup fever has well and truly arrived in the United States. Everywhere I went I was impressed by the fan zones, the amount of friendly volunteers and the general enthusiasm surrounding the tournament.

Even some of the fans I spoke to, who said they don’t normally watch football, were genuinely excited to be behind the World Cup and learn more about the game. It was great to see.

Sam Harris: A few weeks later, this attitude has completely changed. Some of my favorite moments have been away from the field, from hanging out with Brazil fans in Philadelphia to the Cape Verdeans turning Boston into one big street party.

The World Cup is only as good as its fans. You can host it anywhere, but without the fans bringing their songs, food, flags and culture, it loses its pulse.

It also helps when the home team starts doing well. The US men’s team went on a run, the Americans came in behind them, and even came up with a few chants… pretty decent actually, at least from the fans in a small bar in Philadelphia.

Neil Johnston, BBC Sports journalist:

I went to eight games in New Jersey, Philadelphia, Toronto, Boston and Miami. All the grounds I visited seemed to be full, so the fear that the games might see empty seats didn’t come true as far as I could see.

Alex HowellIn Kansas City, the World Cup was embraced by the people I spoke to and local businesses.

Gary Rose: In bulk. Someone once told me that Americans don’t really go to sporting events, but once they go, they’re all into it.

Over the last few weeks I have seen shirts from all countries roaming the tourist spots of Los Angeles. Every bar and most shops have games on television, even some of the beach shops and cafes in Santa Monica have TVs out on the street for passers-by to watch.