The beautiful game: World Cup 2026 edition

The World Cup has kicked off and is in full swing. Despite FIFA corruption and worries about U.S. immigration issues and price-gouging, it’s still my favourite sporting event. Here’s why.

Over the years, watching the World Cup has become a cherished tradition for our family. You don’t need to follow the leagues or even know the sport that well to enjoy it. You simply need a country to cheer for. For four weeks, the best players in the biggest sport in the world put aside their club affiliations and take up the mantle of national pride. Underdogs fight against the odds. Big powerhouses show what they can do. And one goal can win or lose it all.

Ultimately, the World Cup is an exercise in cultural identity and belonging. I cheer for all of the countries I’ve lived in: Scotland, Germany, and the U.S. (Ireland didn’t make the tournament this year, unfortunately). It brings out my pride in all of them. It’s also the biggest cultural exchange in the world. Fans fill foreign cities, alongside their competitors, and get to hold up their stereotypes and assumptions to the light. They get to see that they all have something in common— how much they love their countries.

Here are some of my fondest memories over the years, and how they intersected with my residence and phase of life at the time.

1998

I have just a brief memory of watching the World Cup final in 1998— a group of preteens crowded around our grainy TV in Scotland.

2002

The summer of 2002, our family was in the U.S. from Germany for the summer. By this time, I had started playing soccer on our school team and knew the sport. The matches were mostly overnight or early in the morning (hosted in S. Korea/Japan), but we watched games where we could. I think I set an alarm to get up and watch the final, but slept through it.

The U.S. men’s team, led by Landon Donovan and Damarcus Beasley, surprised everyone by making it to the quarter-finals. Here, they were knocked out controversially by my other home team, Germany. Most Americans around us didn’t follow soccer but knew that headlines— I think we took some flack for that.

2006

2006 was my golden World Cup era. That summer, I had just finished my freshman year in college and returned home to Germany for the first half of the summer. Many of my friends were also home, and Germany was hosting the World Cup.

Even though we were several hours from a host city, the environment was incredible. Our little town of 8,000 residents set up a massive beer tent in town for viewing parties. My friends and I had the new experience of being of age, with independence, and able to join the festivities. Every time Germany won a match, the streets were filled with honking, singing, and even fireworks. Sadly, they lost in the semi-finals to the eventual champion, Italy.

2010

By 2010, I was a newlywed living in Waco, Texas with my husband. We both loved the World Cup and attempted to many games around our work and grad school schedules. Ross made an impulse purchase of a cheap projector and a sheet, which we set up in our living room.

We attempted a few watch parties, inviting some friends over to watch with us. Most of these friends didn’t know soccer, so we spent a lot of time explaining offsides and other rules. It didn’t matter; we still had fun.

2014

When the 2014 World Cup tipped off, we lived in Indianapolis and my oldest daughter was about two months old. Being on maternity leave with a newborn meant that I had a lot of downtime to watch matches, and I even purchased a World Cup onesie for Nadia to wear. We went out for our very first baby-free date night to watch the U.S. play at Brugge Brasserie, a Belgian restaurant that is sadly no longer in business.

That year, Germany beat the host country in the semis (who can forget 7-1?) and made it through to won the tournament!

2018

I don’t think I was able to watch much of the 2018 World Cup due to the phase in life I was in. I was mom to 2- and 4- year olds, in an incredibly busy season at work. With matches in the opposite time zone, I didn’t catch as many, and this tournament was a bit of a blur.

I do remember the excitement of cheering for underdog teams like Croatia and Belgium, and the disappointment of Germany and England’s early exits. Since the U.S. didn’t even qualify, the coverage and buzz in the U.S. were much less than a normal tournament year.

2022

The 2022 World Cup tournament was strange was as it didn’t take place in the summer. I think we did watch some matches with our kids, but it came at a busy time with Thanksgiving and Christmas activities going on. Neither of my teams did well.

My French nephew was old enough to be obsessed with all things Les Bleus and Mbappé and they bought us France kits, so we followed along with that journey. (Honestly, though, I was happy for Argentina to win as the first non-European team in some time).

2026

This tournament is back in the summer, and our kids are into it this year. We’ve got a World Cup sticker book we’re working through, and we’re letting our kids stay up within reason to watch some matches. They’re making friendship bracelets to match the country flags, and we’re having some impromptu geography lessons.

This World Cup feels special because Scotland is back in it after a 28-year absence. The Tartan Army are the best supporters in the world, and it’s been so fun to watch them compete. We know a few people in Boston for their matches, and many more waking up in the middle of the night to watch at home.

We also have many international friends in Ireland from France, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, and more, which makes it fun. The World Cup can also be a conversation starter— most people here in Ireland just know me as the American mom, so it’s sparked a few conversations as to why I’m wearing a Scotland jersey or cheering for Germany.

I’m wondering what the atmosphere is like in the U.S.— Are people watching it? Is there a difference in atmosphere outside of the host cities? We’ll be there for the end of the tournament, and if the U.S. is still in it, I think it will be good fun. The U.S. and Germany started out strong in their first matches, and I hope they both make deep runs. Scotland will hopefully make it through their group and will undoubtedly have a great time either way. I don’t know if any of them have what it takes to win this year, but I’ll certainly enjoy the journey.