The soccer fans who fell in love with America during the World Cup - NBC News

What the report says

NBC News reported that the 2026 World Cup became a major U.S. sporting and cultural event, with record television audiences and millions of spectators attending matches as the tournament neared its Sunday final. In a July 19 story, NBC’s Rohan Nadkarni focused on what happened beyond the games: visiting supporters from around the world turning host cities into sites of informal cultural exchange.

Several examples centered on fan groups embracing local communities. In Kansas City, the smallest U.S. host city, Algerian supporters gathered for their team’s group match against Argentina and also spent time in nearby Lawrence, Kansas. Local business owner David Sauter told NBC affiliate KSHB that T-shirt sales surpassed his usual Christmas levels, while Algerian fan Hanafi Habbas said residents had been welcoming. Norwegian fans also drew attention with the “Viking Row,” a coordinated rowing chant and motion that appeared at matches and public spots including Citi Field, Times Square and Boston.

NBC also highlighted lighter cultural moments, including foreign fans’ enthusiasm for American staples such as ranch dressing, which became prominent enough that the TSA joked online about taking bottles out of the country. Scotland’s Tartan Army brought kilts, bagpipes and large marches to cities including Miami and Boston; NBC reported that a Sam Adams taproom in Boston ran out of its lager over one weekend after Scottish supporters consumed far more than usual.

In Arlington, Texas, NBC said Heather Hannish and Ernesto Gloria’s backyard lemonade stand near a stadium attracted fans from countries including Japan and India. The account underscores how the expanded World Cup’s U.S. leg became not only a soccer spectacle but also a showcase for host-city tourism, small businesses and everyday encounters between American residents and international visitors.