Surprisingly, many visitors are much more impressed by the friendly locals than by the famous monuments. (cmart7327 – stock photo / Getty Images)
By Randy DeSoto June 16, 2026 at 6:20pm
People traveling to the United States for the World Cup soccer tournament are going viral with their posts about everyday American life, which most of us probably take for granted.
As many as 10 million people are expected to make their way to the U.S. during the course of the tournament, which goes from June 11 to July 19.
The 11 host cities include Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
I came to America expecting a great World Cup.
What I didn’t expect was how welcoming everyone would be.
Every local I’ve met has been desperate to recommend places to visit, food to try and things to see.
Americans, thank you.
— Skylar Skye (@SkylarSkye3) June 12, 2026
Two of the top takeaways from World Cup visitors’ social media posts are that they are fascinated with Walmart and surprised by how friendly and welcoming Americans are.
Even with the fight against leftism raging, are you still proud to be an American?
“This is the biggest tourist attraction I can have as a European. It’s like a museum,” one man said, explaining he got lost in Walmart because it is so big.
“You can’t compare this to Europe.”
A European man breaks down how they feel when they go into a Walmart. pic.twitter.com/ssFAviS3dY
— Richie Rich (@gofishh77) June 11, 2026
Here is another post of Japanese tourists flooding a Walmart in the Dallas area.
‘That Walmart’s first day without any theft’ — Japanese fans flood a Dallas Walmart
Other users begged the Japanese to stay even after the World Cup pic.twitter.com/V9Z8oPfpjR
— RussiaNews 🇷🇺 (@mog_russEN) June 16, 2026
Buc-ee’s gas stations and Waffle Houses are other sources of fascination, particularly with the German World Cup visitor who goes by FreddyLA7 on X.
Regarding the latter, he posted, “Just had our first Waffle House experience at 1 am. Great food, great prices, and friendly staff. 10/10, we will be coming back.”
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
Some British tourists received some Texas-sized hospitality while in the Lone Star State.
The couple reported that a “lovely Texas man” wearing a cowboy hat purchased their beers. They ended up chatting, and he told them to wait, and he returned and gave them challenge coins from the Amarillo Police Department.
Others came up to talk to them, too. “Everyone is so friendly,” she said. “Everyone literally has a heart full of gold, it seems like.”
I can’t get enough of Europeans experiencing America. This couple received challenge coins at a bar in Texas! ♥️♥️♥️ pic.twitter.com/LJFwfZnN0O
— CCP IS ASSHOE (@CCPISASSH0E) June 12, 2026
Another German visitor posted, “All the jokes aside Americans are actually some of the friendliest and most welcoming folks I have ever met. Been to Miami, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles & Chicago now and everywhere I met amazing people. 100x friendlier than the grumpy Germans at home.”
Some Scottish fans fit right into American culture, singing John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” at a Boston bar.
The Scots took over Boston bars and sang “Take Me Home, Country Roads” pic.twitter.com/1B01JLmj3V
— Dudes Posting Their W’s (@DudespostingWs) June 14, 2026
That city has been full of the sound of bagpipe playing with the Scots around.
Scotsman Craig Ferguson arrives in Boston to a hero’s welcome after walking across the U.S. to attend the World Cup. pic.twitter.com/DuCH0GtvPy
— WCVB-TV Boston (@WCVB) June 12, 2026
One American shared on X the impact all these posts are having on him.
“There’s something happening inside of me that I haven’t felt in a while. Pride. There are so many things I’d like to see changed in our country but for a brief moment I’m just in awe of foreigners exploring and discovering some American gems during their visit for World Cup. These posts are a beacon of light for me,” he wrote.
“Distinctly it warms my heart to see people enjoying Texas Roadhouse or Biscuits & gravy. Or, the Japanese poet that is writing masterpieces about unlimited chips & salsa. Or, the Germans getting into Ella Langley. Even the compliments on our stadium here in LA,” the man added.
🇳🇴🚣 Norway fans are doing a “Viking Row” up the escalator at Boston’s South Station before heading to the World Cup today pic.twitter.com/XM6DoaQAFQ
— 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 (@thecasualultra) June 16, 2026
So here’s to Americana. I’m glad so many World Cup visitors are getting a chance to experience it.
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