I know we've covered this a bit already at Hot Air but I honestly just caught up on some of the many TikTok videos and reports about World Cup tourists who are falling in love with America. It really is heart-warming to see all this, especially at this moment when it seems a lot of people who don't love America are having a moment here in the U.S.
The love for America has been so undeniable that I've seen people on X arguing about it. People on the right say that Europeans reactions to America prove there's a lot to love about it. But I've seen people on the left arguing that the tourists are mostly in blue cities, the kind of places red-staters badmouth.
No World Cup soccer games in red cities. Europeans are loving the blue cities that MAGAs hate.
— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) June 23, 2026
There's some truth to that. Both sides of the political divide could stand to admit that all of America is better than we sometimes give it credit for.
That said, I don't think it's true that it's the big blue cities that are making the big impression on World Cup tourists. I've watched dozens of these videos and most of the visitors aren't raving about the architecture or the city planning. They aren't talking about anything that blue city elected officials or your average DSA mayor are talking about.
What really seems to impress visitors is the kindness of the American people they meet, their can-do attitude about life, but also the food at places like Cheesecake Factory or Chick-fil-a and the stunning amount of choices we offer shoppers at places like Costco or Buc-ees.
As international fans travel between host cities, their off-field discoveries have become one of the tournament's most charming online trends. The 2026 World Cup is being played across 11 U.S. cities, nearly half of which are in the South. An additional 25 communities are also hosting national teams at base-camp training sites, including stops like Greensboro, Chattanooga, Columbus, and Spokane.
In practice, that means visitors are not just passing through the usual tourist hubs, but winding up in grocery stores, gas stations, college towns, and chain restaurants — posting wide-eyed reactions to the parts of American life locals usually move through without thinking twice.
None of those things are limited to life in blue cities. Most of the things travelers seem to love can be found in lots of American suburbs, in red states as well as blue. Case in point, a visitor from Tokyo:
Daiki Kaneko had only 24 hours before his World Cup journey took him to Dallas, where his home country’s squad will take on Sweden.
The Japanese soccer fan was making the most of it on Tuesday in Inglewood, snapping pictures of SoFi Stadium before taking in a different kind of monument: a space-age, two-story branch of the chicken chain Raising Cane’s, complete with a 308-square-foot screen, a mirrored dog sculpture and a massive halo hovering around the exterior.
For Kaneko, 25, who lives in the Tokyo suburbs, it was the perfect encapsulation of American grandeur.
“All this for chicken,” he said. “I love America.”
Freddy was blown away by Waffle House. This is the kind of place that blue state city dwellers mock.
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
Does this look like a blue city hangout to you?
This is so surreal, just had the best food ever pic.twitter.com/JrDcdwkDVS
— Elsa (@elsathora) June 9, 2026
And they love our big yellow school buses, which again is not something limited to blue cities.
Yes I saw a yellow school bus, yes I screamed with excitement
— Elsa (@elsathora) June 9, 2026
Another thing a lot of these visitors have noticed is how much pride Americans have in their country (well, some of us at least. I don't think this pride is radiating off your average DSA candidate).
Erling Haaland on America:
— Mr. Mekker (@MrMekker) June 24, 2026
«They have so much pride for their country. They love their country so much. Everything about it. National anthem was incredible. It was amazing, I had goosebumps all over!»
Source: Erling Haaland / YouTube pic.twitter.com/AHYPi1gs64
Anyway, I'm not alone in thinking all of this is upsetting to some people on the progressive left.
Europeans especially seem bewitched by the sheer bigness of it all, from the spacious Western grandeur to supersized gas stations like Buc-ee’s.
It’s adorable.
What’s not so cute is the shock some of my fellow Americans seem to be feeling at these expressions of true awe and joy from our visitors. The pushback, largely from coastal liberal elites, revolves around this theme: Since Donald Trump is president, the rest of the world must feel the same shame and horror that we do.
They don’t, though.
America is so much bigger than one man, and it’s refreshing to see these candid takes at a time when so many U.S. citizens (Democrats, anyway) are down on their country.
There have been some negatives of course and, well, they relate to problems in big blue cities:
Okay I guess it was going to happen eventually…my first negative experience
— Elsa (@elsathora) June 11, 2026
Why is one item locked up yet other items the same price isn’t!? pic.twitter.com/7oxdEl4on6
Again, I don't want to spoil the good mood. I think the tourists are right that all of what they are experiencing is pretty amazing and that we shouldn't take it for granted. We have a lot to be proud about and good reason to really celebrate America's 250th Anniversary. I trust the honest impressions of the tourists a lot more than the home-grown activists who seem to genuinely despise this country.
