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“America, What Are You Doing To Me?” 58 Soccer Fans Share Their Biggest Culture Shocks In The USA
In 2026, the FIFA World Cup (which is held every four years) is being played in 16 North American cities: two in Canada, three in Mexico, and eleven in the United States. It's the biggest tournament of the most popular sport on Earth, so millions of fans traveled across the globe to support their national teams on the main stage.
And while they came first and foremost for the soccer, many also discovered a very different side of the primary host, the US, than they had expected. Some experiences surprised people so much that they even took to social media to share their reactions. So we decided to compile the culture shocks they encountered to show the country through the eyes of its foreign visitors.
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#1
LakotaWolf (she/her) 4 hours ago
Exuberant! A good word to describe the comingling of "friendly" with "loud" is "exuberant" XD
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SM 4 hours ago (edited)
Yeah, the US is way behind on this, even though the technology for doing it at the table (with a pin I might add, that the US doesn't use, only chip and sign, which is basically useless since no one is going to check that the signature is correct, not that they could tell a fake from a real one if they did) was created here. One thing I was wondering is if the chip is even used, or just the credit card number. CoPilot says that the chip is used (so random number) but it falls back to "sign".
#9
Roman Arendt 3 hours ago
And we're not joking when we say you're eating and drinking like healthcare was affordable for you... 😐
#11
Bored Jellyfish 2 hours ago (edited)
We once got a flash flood warning (Go to high ground) and a tornado warning (Go the lowest level in your home or building) at the same time. So instead, we went outside and took pictures of the swirly clouds to send in to the local TV station, who showed the pics during their breaking news coverage while telling viewers to please not go outside to take pictures of the swirly clouds.
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Bored Jellyfish 2 hours ago
Yep. I had culture shock the first time I went into a Bass Pro Shop. And I’m Americanese.
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Speak easy buttercup 5 hours ago
I would think Japan would have tons of energy drinks since there are so many gamers there! 🤔🤔 I'll be danged
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LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 hour ago
While you DO have to drive everywhere in Southern California (our public transportation system súcks, I'm not going to try to polish a túrd here) we have pretty much every biome you could want within a two-hour drive! Mountains with snow/skiing to the north (Big Bear), lovely forests to the north as well, the desert to the south and east, beaches right here, and if you drive two hours west, you're in the middle of the Pacific Ocean XD
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Laszlo Larthlanc 4 hours ago
Are you kidding? Walk? You wanna get run down by a car or something?
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PrettyJoyBird 5 hours ago
These waffles are the fluffiest most delicious. Perfect way to start a vacation morning. Waffle and coffee. I eat them as is, no syrup. (These are soft and thick. Hotels have a special waffle machine)
#42
Multa Nocte (she/her/86 47) 4 hours ago
Better find out what they were fighting for before you get too proud.
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#58
Phil Thompson 5 hours ago
58 posts, not 58 fans. Half of these are from four people (Elsa, Freddy, Oliver, and Shaun).
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What do you think ?
Sara 2 hours ago
I feel happy to see this post, because all these foods are the evolution and variations that happened from all the different people that came here, the melting pot. We owe our wild culinary culture to the variety of influences that all came together! I'm trying to say to our visitors, they are somehow, both to thank and to blame for all this. I need something deep fried after this post.
Elladine DesIsles 4 hours ago
Apologies, American pandas, but there is exactly one entry here, out of 58, that stands a chance of making me contemplate ever crossing your border again (that being the scenery shots from Atlanta, which are lovely). Maybe, one day, if and when the Mango Megalomaniac and all of ilk have been dealt with.
Laszlo Larthlanc 4 hours ago
Wow! A positive post about the USA! OK, this is a dream, right? Yes -- I'm sleeping. That's it. That must be it. If not, then there was finally, a pre-bedtime post about the US that didn't send me to bed muttering to myself. (Leaving before the comments start, though.)
SM 33 minutes ago
They have to throw one in every once in a while to catch you off guard. :-)
Load More Replies... Sara 2 hours ago
I feel happy to see this post, because all these foods are the evolution and variations that happened from all the different people that came here, the melting pot. We owe our wild culinary culture to the variety of influences that all came together! I'm trying to say to our visitors, they are somehow, both to thank and to blame for all this. I need something deep fried after this post.
Elladine DesIsles 4 hours ago
Apologies, American pandas, but there is exactly one entry here, out of 58, that stands a chance of making me contemplate ever crossing your border again (that being the scenery shots from Atlanta, which are lovely). Maybe, one day, if and when the Mango Megalomaniac and all of ilk have been dealt with.
Laszlo Larthlanc 4 hours ago
Wow! A positive post about the USA! OK, this is a dream, right? Yes -- I'm sleeping. That's it. That must be it. If not, then there was finally, a pre-bedtime post about the US that didn't send me to bed muttering to myself. (Leaving before the comments start, though.)
SM 33 minutes ago
They have to throw one in every once in a while to catch you off guard. :-)
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