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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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#2
LakotaWolf (she/her) 16 hours ago
Exuberant! A good word to describe the comingling of "friendly" with "loud" is "exuberant" XD
#4
#10
Bored Jellyfish 14 hours ago
Yep. I had culture shock the first time I went into a Bass Pro Shop. And I’m Americanese.
#11
Ace 11 hours ago
Used to be normal in the UK and Europe as well before chip+PIN was introduced. Some of still remember when there was no electronics involved, they would swipe the card through a machine that made a print of it using carbon paper, hand-write the amount onto the printer slip, leaving the tip and total lines blank for you to fill in and then to sign. The physical piece of paper was then counted up and included with bank-notes to be sent of to the bank for processing.
#12
#13
LakotaWolf (she/her) 13 hours 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
#14
Roman Arendt 15 hours ago
And we're not joking when we say you're eating and drinking like healthcare was affordable for you... 😐
#15
#16
FreeTheUnicorn 11 hours ago
Must be Southern England because in Scotland we see plenty of deer in gardens and along roads. It's definitely the same in the English borders. Actually it's a problem cause there's no predators maybe England should take some.
#17
Bored Jellyfish 14 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.
#19
Upstaged75 43 minutes ago
The drinks at Wendy's are enormous for some reason! Their "regular" soda is the same size as a large at McDonald's.
#27
#29
#31
Multa Nocte (she/her/86 47) 16 hours ago
Better find out what they were fighting for before you get too proud.
#32
Speak easy buttercup 17 hours ago
I would think Japan would have tons of energy drinks since there are so many gamers there! 🤔🤔 I'll be danged
#36
Kelly Scott 56 minutes ago (edited)
One thing about Taco Bell - I've never seen another fastfood place that could make 43 different items from just 6 ingredients. Beans, meat, cheese, lettuce, hot sauce, and some kind of wrap for it all.
#38
M O'Connell 3 hours ago
Some of the best barbecue I have ever eaten came from a restaurant inside the terminal at the Kansas City airport.
#41
FreeTheUnicorn 11 hours ago
It's designed to be flavoured sweat. The taste has actually improved over the years
#43
#44
#45
#46
Phil Thompson 17 hours ago
58 posts, not 58 fans. Half of these are from four people (Elsa, Freddy, Oliver, and Shaun).
#48
Tamra 10 hours ago (edited)
I recently traveled to Oklahoma for the funeral of a family member. My cousin picked me up for lunch, and was driving the largest d@mned truck I've ever seen. It had STEPS on the side to get up into it, and could seat SIX adults. A monstrous thing that probably got 10 miles to the gallon.
#57
#58
Daniel Atkins 23 minutes ago
Vending machine are ridiculous amd it gets worse in stadiums and amusement parks.
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What do you think ?
Laszlo Larthlanc 16 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 12 hours ago
They have to throw one in every once in a while to catch you off guard. :-)
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Auntriarch 11 hours ago
Well this makes a very pleasant change, this sounds like the USA that I experienced. More please?
Sara 14 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.
Laszlo Larthlanc 9 hours ago
I'd really love to head out on the town with Shaun, the Scot, and if I ever made it to Scotland he's who I'd want to show me and tell me about the best places to visit, be they natural or social.
Load More Replies... Laszlo Larthlanc 16 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 12 hours ago
They have to throw one in every once in a while to catch you off guard. :-)
Load More Replies... Auntriarch 11 hours ago
Well this makes a very pleasant change, this sounds like the USA that I experienced. More please?
Sara 14 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.
Laszlo Larthlanc 9 hours ago
I'd really love to head out on the town with Shaun, the Scot, and if I ever made it to Scotland he's who I'd want to show me and tell me about the best places to visit, be they natural or social.
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