The World Cup Is Reminding America Who It Is
A day in Atlanta, new friends from England and South Africa, and a reminder that people have more in common than we're led to believe.
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The World Cup Reminded Me Who We Are
Football unites.
FIFA’s “Stop Hate” campaign hits differently right now. The commercials that play during the World Cup all carry the same message: football belongs to everyone.
If football were a country, it would be the largest in the world. If it were a language, it would be spoken in every corner of the globe.
Yesterday, I went to the World Cup in Atlanta.
It was one of the best days of my life.
I woke up feeling like I had been shot out of a cannon. The World Cup has been my No. 1 bucket-list item for as long as I can remember. It was a dream. Yesterday, I got to live it.
I watched Czechia take on South Africa, but the match was only part of the experience. I went alone. I was determined to make friends. And I did.
Three guys from Sheffield, England sat next to me. They had flown across the Atlantic and were driving through Nashville today on their way to Boston for England’s next match. We hit it off immediately. In fact, I’m showing them around Nashville while they’re here.
That’s what the World Cup does.
It brings people together.
Behind me sat a father and his two sons who had traveled from South Africa. Their joy, their pride, and their love for both their country and the sport were infectious. I was surrounded by the world. And I was happy. So happy.
As the South African supporters sang their national anthem before kickoff, I found myself getting emotional. Not because I understood every word, but because I understood exactly what it meant to them. It was beautiful. The experience reminded me of something simple:
People are far more alike than they are different.
When nobody is trying to divide us, people are generally kind, curious, welcoming, and good. Which brings me to America.
The last decade has been exhausting. Every day we’re told how divided we are. We’re told to fear one another. We’re encouraged to be angry. We’re fed a constant diet of outrage. But standing in that stadium yesterday, surrounded by people from all over the world, I couldn’t help but wonder:
Is the divide really as deep as we’re told?
Or are we being sold a version of reality that benefits the people who profit from fear, anger, and conflict? The World Cup is reminding America who it is. As fans from around the globe arrive in our cities, they’re discovering something many never expected.
America is awesome.
Americans are kind.
Americans are welcoming.
Southern hospitality isn’t a myth.
Just ask “German Freddy.”
His viral adventures across America have become must-watch content because they reveal something many people around the world don’t hear enough: the America they see on television isn’t the America they experience when they get here. Time and time again, visitors tell the same story.
“The news made it seem different.”
“They told us Americans hated everyone.”
“They told us America was angry.”
Then they arrive and discover friendly strangers, welcoming communities, and people eager to share their cities, their culture, and their lives. That’s because most people, everywhere, want the same things. They want to take care of their families. They want to laugh.
They want meaningful friendships.
They want opportunities. They want a better life for their children.
The languages may be different. The food may be different. The traditions may be different. But humanity is the same.
Yesterday wasn’t just about crossing a dream off my bucket list.
It was a reminder. A reminder that people are people. A reminder that the world is far more connected than we realize. And a reminder that America, at its best, remains exactly what it has always aspired to be:
A place where people from every corner of the world can come together and feel welcome.
For one afternoon in Atlanta, the world gathered in one stadium.
And for a few hours, it felt like we remembered that.
Glad you enjoyed your World Cup game. Your thoughts reminded me of an experience we had many years ago. We hosted a family from France who had previously hosted our son on a church missions trip. They told us they were apprehensive about coming to the U.S. because they thought it was like the old Wild West. They believed every American roaming the streets carried at least one gun, ready to open fire at the slightest provocation. All because of media coverage of school shootings, murder rates and the vitriol in our public political discourse. The World Cup event reminds us that below the levels of governments, people are the same.
Very awesome Pony! Your insight reminds me exactly of mine from a Rotary International Group Study Exchange that I took part in 30 years ago. It was a visit to wonderful Japan for a month. I know…The first week was amazing but by week two it was really hard because it was like sensory deprivation. I didn’t understand what was being said and couldn’t read kanji. Stayed with host families for 3 days then moved to another city with another host family. You get a feel for these amazing people, even without super clear communication, and by the end of week three, living with those host families taught me that we are all the same at our core, and it changed me and my life. Arigato gozaimasu for what you do and share. Full Rider and rarely miss a day!