Before this World Cup began, I kept thinking one thing over and over as the tournament grew closer: “This could be a disaster.”
Headlines from around the country swirled about how the lengthy US government shutdown left local municipalities without the necessary funds to prepare for millions of people coming to the US. There were concerns about the USA’s toxic political environment keeping many of the international visitors from coming for the tournament. Reports of price gouging around the games made it seem like the tournament could see thousands of empty seats as fans were priced out from traveling. The start of the war in Iran soured the reputation of the US government at home and abroad.
It was enough to make me, a World Cup enthusiast, be worried that this tournament would be huge letdown.
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
From the moment that the first ball was kicked in Mexico City to the final whistle in the New Jersey Meadowlands, North America was the host of one of the most epic parties the world has ever seen. It was a total vibe shift, one that couldn’t have been more needed.
On that opening night in Mexico, we saw South Koreans and Mexicans bonding like long lost brothers. When the attention turned north of the border, we watched the Scots drink Boston dry; Norwegians row on every form of surface imaginable; Brazilians, Argentines and Colombians come out in droves and take over entire cities; and random tourists discover American delicacies like Buc-ee’s and Waffle House.
There were even a few weeks there when Americans could believe – however far-fetched it seemed – that the USA had suddenly turned a corner and became a World Cup contender after two inspiring wins to start the tournament.
The US, for years, had seen the political chaos from Washington, DC, radiate out and affect the mood of the country. For more than five weeks, the headlines from so many other cities – Algeria’s love affair with Lawrence, Kansas; Boston’s summer fling with Scottish fans and then their takeover of Miami; Seattle’s epic atmosphere; Atlanta’s downtown suddenly overrun with thousands of people as its fanfest became the hottest ticket in town, etc. – suddenly reminded millions of Americans of something that was true all along: This country is actually pretty great.
That’s not to say the politics that so often dominate our lives were absent or should have been ignored. The 39 days of the World Cup definitely had their moments of politics invading what was hoped to be a sporting sanctuary.
The Iranian team’s treatment by FIFA and the US government was rightly criticized as Iran was forced to move its training base at the last moment and then could only fly into and out of the US days before its games, not leaving it much time to prepare or recover. President Donald Trump’s intrusion into the saga around Folarin Balogun briefly made observers question the integrity of the whole tournament (at least until Belgium battered the US and sent the Americans home). One referee was not allowed into the country because he was Somalian and other nations had visa issues that were blamed on Trump’s administration.
But for a tournament that threatened to have Trump loom over proceedings and dominate the headlines on a day-to-day basis, as was done with the celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday in Washington or that whole thing with DC’s reflecting pool, it was largely about the soccer.
Even when Trump took over the headlines with the Balogun affair, the game itself took the headlines right back. It was a day after that embarrassing affair for US soccer that Lionel Messi and Argentina pulled off one of the escapes of the tournament, storming back from a late 2-0 deficit against Egypt to win 3-2 in one of the most incredible matches of the tournament.
It was a turning point that reminded everyone that the magic on the pitch overshadowed any attempts from Washington to take over the tournament. And it once again allowed fans to revel in the glory of the World Cup rather than fret about the future of the game.
The effects of this tournament will still be studied and analyzed long after Rodri lifted the trophy and Spain danced on Sunday. There will be so many studies about whether the economic costs to cities brought in the promised revenues, whether it was really worth it for cities to host – all the kinds of numbers that folks like to use when deciding whether to chase hosting big events in the future.
But there’s one effect that cannot be studied that is apparent: Americans have shown the rest of the world that this big, weird country is not just its politics. The hospitality and kindness of everyday Americans, the kind of people who don’t ask “So, what do you do?” in the first five seconds of meeting them, has proven to be the nation’s greatest asset. Visitor after visitor said a version of the same thing – Americans were not the kind of people that they had heard about on the news back home.
The country still has tons of warts and flaws that need fixing. But for 39 wonderful days, we had a great time with friends from around the world. The tapestry of nationalities that make up this country were able to support their teams in the greatest sporting event on Earth. Stadiums were filled and memories were made, and for a little while, it seemed like the biggest problem we all had to collectively face was what we watched when there were no games on TV.
For 39 days, we were allowed to feel joy. Unbridled, uncomplicated joy.
We got to dance with the Congolese when they beat Uzbekistan to advance to the knockouts for the first time. We got to lose our minds when tiny Cape Verde nearly took down both the current and last world champions. We shared drinks and meals and stories with people from places we may never go – or at least never thought of going before we met them.
The World Cup may be over, but – hopefully – it’s changed a couple things: The way the world looks at Americans, and the way we look at ourselves.
