The FIFA World Cup is now in full swing, and it’s living up to its promise. The US Men’s National Team (USMNT) is enjoying success during the Group Stage. This has fueled soccer (better known as football around the world) excitement across the nation, with dreams of a championship filling the media. It was expected that as many as 10 million people from around the world would visit the US to attend games and root for their country’s team. The economic boom to the US was expected to be a $17 billion boost to the GDP, a tidy windfall. Yet the larger gain has nothing to do with money, but rather, giving people who otherwise would not have come to the US the opportunity to experience what America has to offer.
Social media has become the communication avenue of choice for many of these visitors. Posting TikTok videos on X, they freely share their thoughts and experiences with the world, often chronicling their activities in real time.
So what are these TikTok videos sharing on X?
Our food. They say that everything is big. The portions are big. The food is described as “delicious”, noting that they have nothing like this in their home country. One person was eating a platter of beef brisket, exhorting that “it melts in your mouth”. Another noted that you can get a ribeye steak prepared “rare”, rather than the black “well done” that he was accustomed to back home. Restaurants like the Waffle House and In-N-Out were lauded for their portions and prices. Texas Roundhouse’s unlimited rolls and beverage refills drew surprise (“they are free?”) and rave reviews.
Then there are our stores. Costco and Walmart were described as “enormous”. And the packages they sell are “enormous”. As visitors caroused through these stores, they picked up displayed massive containers of ketchup, goldfish, and cheese pops. A five pound-tube of ground beef could “feed my village” one person exclaimed. Ranch dressing has become an American food icon. Even a Texas-based grocery store like H-E-B drew exclamations of amazement for the wealth of choices available to consumers. Many noted that places like this were unavailable to them back in their home countries.
Yet another person shared with bewilderment that he was expecting people to be carrying guns and to see “killings in the streets.” He was amazed by how safe he felt, and how friendly and helpful people were. Yet a quick stop at a local Bass Pro Shops gave some the opportunity to see the plethora of guns available for sale, even going so far as to shoot a gun at a local indoor shooting range, something that was unheard of for them back home.
To further highlight life in America, many commented on how ubiquitous air conditioning was, something that is far less common in their countries.
What all these visitors are experiencing is the many facets of American life, things that we mostly take for granted, yet are novelties for those who do not live here. We are indeed a land of abundance, providing anyone with sufficient resources, the opportunity to indulge in whatever they wish.
Of course, the unlimited amount of food has also fueled an obesity epidemic that places upward pressures on healthcare costs, giving our nation the world’s highest per capita cost of delivering health care services. The food may taste good, but there is indeed “no free lunch” for those who indulge without health conscience restraint.
Indeed, the most valuable windfall brought about by the World Cup has been the sharing of the American experience, and the goodwill that the visitors will take home with them when they depart. The perception of our nation as reported by the media throughout the world is centered around what our government does, not who our people are. Many World Cup visitors described Americans as kind and generous. Another wondered why American would want to travel anywhere else, with each state akin to its own country, containing its own unique character and qualities.
When the final World Cup game is played on July 19, what this event will export is the American Dream, that the land of opportunities still exists here. It is easy to get discouraged by news reports and the behavior of our elected officials. Though such people may represent the voice and face of America to those around the world, they are not the heart of our nation. That is held by the American people, and it is what the World Cup visitors from around the world will take back home with them.