Foreign Soccer Fans Are Discovering Something Many Americans Forgot

This article is part of Upstream, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.

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As the U.S. celebrates its big 2-5-0, we’ve never been hungrier for patriotic pride. And with the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, international soccer fans serve American spirit by shining a hilarious and heartwarming light on our country’s everyday awesomeness.

The odds might not favor Team USA, but we’re already winning with Waffle House.

“It’s like a GTA lobby,” German fútbol fan Freddy wrote, relating an Atlanta metro platform to the “Grand Theft Auto” video game. “One person next to us [is] taking off his shirt and declaring war on Donald Trump while another person is moonwalking across the platform.”

Freddy later witnessed a bald eagle soar through Auburn University’s packed 88,043-seat Jordan-Hare stadium as Argentina shut out Iceland 3-0 on the Road to 26.

Welcome to America, buddy.

There’s an eagle flying around the stadium pic.twitter.com/luC6ENq7oM

— Freddy???????? (@FreddyLA7) June 10, 2026

“This is the most ‘The European mind can’t comprehend this’ moment of my life,” Freddy shared. “One of my friends said, ‘Punch me five times tomorrow and I’ll still think this isn’t real.’”

Freddy, who chose Cristiano Ronaldo as his profile pic, has been delighting X followers with his travels through the South. (He’s also open to recommendations.) But he’s not the only one praising American treats like watching the NBA Finals at Chili’s with a cosmo marg and a “quesadilla explosion” salad. (I definitely thought he was joking about the “explosion” part, but it’s real. How did that concept ever make it out of the initial marketing briefing? Who cares, it’s got cheese on it.) 

Those Joni Mitchell lyrics go something like “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone … paved paradise put up a parking lot.” Luckily, the U.S.A. is still jam-packed with unique experiences, sprawling landscapes, and parking lots. (Where else would we put our Chevy Silverados?) We might take it for granted, but we live in a place where you have the right to customize every element of the all-star special at Waffle House. It’s refreshing to see American culture through someone else’s eyes. Especially if those people are loving every minute of it.

Just had our first Waffle House experience at 1am. Great food, great prices, and friendly staff. 10/10, we will be coming back.???? pic.twitter.com/QHgftpqfoX

— Freddy???????? (@FreddyLA7) June 8, 2026

Gleefully bewildered by massive 12-lane highways, military flyovers for sporting events, food delivery robots, and an order from Taco Bell, pumped-up tourists take over small-town USA, fully in awe of the pristine bathrooms and gas pumps at Buc-ee’s. 

Catching the attention of celebrities and politicians, Freddy has been making the most of his visit so far. “The best discovery of our road trip has been a musician called Ella Langley,” he posted. “We’ve become big fans. She’s basically the soundtrack of our trip.” 

We’re loving watching Freddy and his crew listen to “Choosin’ Texas” and “I Can’t Love You Anymore” on repeat as they chow down on Chipotle somewhere along Fairhope, Alabama’s idyllic Spanish moss-draped coastline. “I could live here,” Freddy wrote.

“WE’RE KEEPING FREDDY,” someone replied with an American flag emoji. 

Yes, these are the things most Americans do without thinking. But FYI, your daily routine is the stuff of champions.

Elsewhere on X, Swedish football fan Elsa offers us all a new appreciation for “beautiful” fire trucks, lowrider car culture, and the finer fare of greasy spoon diners. “Why did no one tell me ranch sauce is like crack? EUROPE WE NEED RANCH ASAP,” she posted. And after enjoying the fastest WiFi of her life on a domestic flight at the start of her month-long visit, she was one of us. 

“What are we doing wrong in Europe? The USA has completely radicalized me within 48 hours.”

Vulnerable to the comments section, Elsa and Freddy have caught flack from internet provocateurs (and obvious haters of soccer and America), who claim these sorts of fun-loving travelogues are somehow pandering trolls meant to drum up hate-clicks. How could their pure joy for these signature American experiences possibly be genuine? Aren’t we all just joyless, jaded cynics also eating Chipotle in our bedrooms with the blinds closed? (Mom, I said extra guacamole!)

International flights, plus a month-long road trip across America and World Cup tickets that can cost upwards of $2,000 depending on the city (with hotels sometimes surging above the price of a cheap stadium seat), pose a sting to the wallet. And with each host American city unlikely to recover the estimated $100 million needed to host the tournament, fans like Freddy are more essential than ever.

Other self-described World Cup fans have expressed alleged concern about traveling to the U.S. Claiming to have felt much safer touring around previous host countries like South Africa and Brazil, German national Steve Schwarzbach is skipping this year. 

“You see the ICE people going around and just pulling people from the streets just because they look foreign and you don’t get the feeling that anybody would protect me, you know?” he told CNN. “I look more Asian than German. I wouldn’t feel safe.”

While Steve watches the festivities remotely (eye roll), we’re over here with Freddy and Elsa (and Tanzanian Canadian tourist, Arjun Modhwadia, who excitedly shelled out $2,000 for the quarter final game in Kansas City) living our best lives tasting Twinkies, Combos, and Coney Island hot dogs again for the first time. 

I feel like I’m in a movie pic.twitter.com/uIEj9N50r7

— Elsa (@elsathora) June 9, 2026

Can we keep these people, and deport the haters? This is purely an attitude assessment. Debbie Downer locals telling these happy-go-lucky visitors that our food is overly seasoned and salty, while trying to throw a wet towel on small-town America? You’re uninvited to this moment. Life’s too short — and this country is far too great — to spend another second listening to anyone complain about it.

As for Freddy, he finally got eyes on his avatar’s namesake, Ronaldo (and he’s learning the difference between the Gulf and “the sea,” thanks to Florida Governor Ron Desantis’ geography lesson). Even though our favorite European soccer fan has weeks to go on his great American experience, I think we’ve already come to a consensus. Like this dude posted on X, “I’ve seen enough, let’s get this guy citizenship.” God bless America.