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Close-up of a white line on green grass in a soccer field
Close-up of a white line on green grass in a soccer field
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Illinois State | Culture > Entertainment

Why the World Cup was Exactly what we Needed

Carmen Gradberg Student Contributor, Illinois State University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois State chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

As we all have heard, the United States is at a split about the political side of everything and our relationship with other countries are not looking very promising. However, summer of 2026 had a lot of action going on that many people heard about. However, not many Americans paid any attention to this. If you didn’t hear, North America hosted the FIFA World Cup, automatically meaning that around 47 countries traveled to The United States to play in a game. 

soccer ball at empty soccer stadium
Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

History of the World Cup

The World Cup is an international soccer tournament that is held by FIFA, occurring every four years. It was first established in 1904 but was not popular until 1930. This was held with 13 men’s teams from different countries. The idea behind this was to show off this international talent with a competition that differed from the Olympics. Since then, the World Cup has expanded to hosting 48 teams from all around the world. 

Cultures Combining 

As we all know, the world is not in such a great place. However, countries were able to put their differences aside during the 2026 World Cup. Scottish fans flooded the streets in kilts and joined the Red Sox fans in singing “Sweet Caroline.” Cape Verde supporters celebrated matches side-by-side with local Boston and New England police officers. Argentine fans turned part of Missouri into a miniature version of Buenos Aires. Dutch supports staged orange fan walks. Japanese fans combined chants with their signature stadium cleanups. Not only were typical game day traditions spread across the country, but the countries welcomed each other’s differences and adapted to make everyone feel included. Communities in New York and Los Angeles used neighborhoods as vibrant cultural home bases. International fans embraced American “delicacies” and went to all of our favorite restaurants. It was a major 180 compared to the world that we lived in prior to June 11th, and I don’t think anyone would complain about how things went. 

Social Media Outbreak

The Viking Row

This was the biggest fan phenomenon during the 2026 World Cup. It was created by Norway fans to celebrate their team’s first tournament appearance in 28 years. Fans would sit shoulder to shoulder on the ground and mimic pulling imaginary oars of a Viking longship. In unison they would chant “Ro!” There were crowds rowing in Times Square, Boston Airports, and Miami beaches. 

Cape Verde

Cape Verde had one of the greatest underdog stories in the story of the World Cup. They became the smallest nation ever to reach the tournament’s knockout stage. They went “undefeated” during the group round, completing dominated the Group H bracket. They had even held the winning team to a 0-0 score during the group round. They also had a their 40-year-old veteran goalkeeper, Vozinha who exhibited crucial clean sheets and saves, therefore skyrocketing his global internet fame. They even forced runner-up, Argentina, into overtime. Keeping the score 2-2 before Argentina scored a game winning goal in the 111th minute. Despite elimination, the entire team earned worldwide respect, and they will go down as one of the best underdog teams in history. 

Bob.Travel6

Bob was a TikTok creator from Japan. He wanted to see what life would be like in a new country with new hospitality during the World Cup. He set on his adventure, starting in Seattle with $0 to his name. His goal was to see how U.S. kindness and generosity would help him discover the states. Before reaching Dallas, he found himself on private jets and constantly being asked for selfies. He had a genuine reaction to American food, causing his influx in recognition. His videos show that people are inherently kind and the population will take care of one another when the time comes. After the World Cup, Bob returned to Japan. He shared his experiences in the states with people back home and he plans on taking on other countries to bring out the good in people. In the end, Bob really made you want to be a better person, and I think that was exactly what the world needed. 

Top 10 Teams

What This Means for the Future of the US 

The World Cup had several major impacts on the future of the United States. The first is the abundance of new soccer fans that surged after hosting. Due to this surge, there has been more involvement in U.S. soccer and more funding has been provided to soccer teams around the nation. There was also a boost in local economies. Host cities experienced a massive increase in economic activity from international visitors spending money on new experiences and souvenirs. With the abundance of travelers, host cities updated their means of transportation to better serve those who were visiting. These updates are here to stay, making public transportation and public safety something that people no longer worry about. Finally, the World Cup allowed America to find cultural connection. There was so much diversity, people were connecting to their roots, cultures and traditions were being shared. It was like one giant sleepover, and I believe that the experience opened some American’s eyes. While an economic boost is great and funding for sports is fantastic, I personally believe the best thing to come out of this tournament was the international peace that it brought. Everyone was able to put their differences aside and just enjoy the game of soccer (Fútbol). While there may have been some butting heads when teams would verse each other, there was a definite change in the atmosphere, which we can only hope is here to stay. 

Carmen Gradberg

Illinois State '27

Hey! I'm Carmen and I am a Senior here at ISU. I am majoring in Psychology and minoring in Criminal Justice. I am super into reading, music, Greek Mythology, mental health, EMT classes, and spending time with those I care about!