World Cup visitors are going viral for their reactions to everyday American life
As hundreds of thousands of international visitors descend on the United States for the 2026 World Cup, many are documenting more than just the action on the field.
Across TikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms, fans from around the world are sharing their reactions to uniquely American experiences, from sprawling supermarkets and self-serve ice dispensers to oversized pickup trucks, fire engines and what many describe as exceptionally friendly customer service.
The videos have become a viral subgenre of World Cup content, offering Americans a glimpse into how everyday parts of life in the U.S. appear through the eyes of foreign visitors.
Many visitors have expressed surprise at conveniences Americans often take for granted, including free ice, refill stations, 24-hour retail options and the overall friendliness they encounter.
"What Americans consider ordinary is often extraordinary to visitors," Dr. Rachel J.C. Fu, chair of the Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management and director of the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute at the University of Florida, told ABC News on Tuesday.
"Travel researchers have long found that tourists do not simply consume landmarks; they consume daily life," she said. "A giant supermarket aisle, free ice water, refillable drinks or a cheerful grocery clerk may be just another Tuesday for Americans, but for someone visiting from Scotland, Brazil or Japan, these experiences are fascinating cultural discoveries."
Fu noted that travelers increasingly use social media to highlight these unexpected discoveries rather than simply documenting major attractions, saying, "Travelers today want to show, 'Look what I discovered,' rather than simply posting another stadium selfie."
Marina De Buchi, a British entrepreneur and content creator who moved to California last year after years of dreaming about living in the United States, told ABC News that many of the reactions she's seeing from World Cup visitors mirror her own when she first arrived.
One of the biggest surprises for, she said, was the friendliness of Americans.
"A lot of people say Americans are fake and I just don't think that's true," De Buchi said. "I think Americans are just really nice and friendly."
Perhaps nowhere has the World Cup cultural exchange been more visible than in Boston, where an influx of Scottish supporters has prompted some social media users to jokingly rename the city, "New Scotland."
"Over the past week, you can't go anywhere in Boston without seeing fans in kilts walking around," Jim Rooney, president and CEO of the Boston Chamber of Commerce, told ABC News. "They've been all over the place and it's brought some energy and life."
Rooney added that visitors have become unofficial ambassadors for the city, documenting everything from Fenway Park and the North End to Boston's historic landmarks for audiences around the world.
Boston content creator Shawn Moran, known online as @shawninboston, said watching the city embrace Scottish fans has been one of the most uplifting aspects of the World Cup so far.
"Social media is often full of negativity, and seeing nothing but pure joy and happiness in my feed for the past week has been the greatest thing," Moran told ABC News. "People are simply having fun and enjoying each other's company, learning about other cultures and embracing them wholeheartedly."
Videos of Scottish fans singing in pubs, marching through city streets and interacting with local residents have generated millions of views online.
Fu said interactions like those are often what visitors remember long after a tournament ends.
"Research consistently shows that people remember people more than places," she said. "A visitor may forget the final score, but they will remember the Uber driver who recommended a local barbecue restaurant, the volunteer who helped them find the train station or the stranger who said, 'Welcome to America.'"
And while visitors are discovering aspects of American life firsthand, many Americans appear equally enthusiastic about seeing their country through fresh eyes.
The videos often focus on ordinary moments that feel distinctly American to international visitors, from shopping at Target to ordering oversized restaurant portions.
"I think [for] Americans, it's refreshing to them to hear good things," De Buchi said. "They hear a lot of bad at the moment. I'm glad to be seeing the rose-tinted-glasses side of it."
Fu said the World Cup provides a unique opportunity for cultural exchange that extends beyond soccer.
"The World Cup is one of the greatest cultural classrooms on Earth," she said, adding, "Communities discover that despite different accents and team loyalties, people share far more similarities than differences."
As for what she would recommend to World Cup visitors looking for the full American experience, De Buchi’s advice is simple.
"Just indulge in it," De Buchi said. "Because there's just so much here."
Her advice reflects the spirit behind many of the viral videos: embracing experiences that may seem ordinary to Americans but feel uniquely exciting to visitors seeing them for the first time.
