This summer has been stocked full of surprises, and the biggest surprise of all is that we discovered—or perhaps rediscovered—that America is its own best ambassador.
We have seen thousands of international travelers make the FIFA-inspired journey to the United States and, to their shock, uncover a few discoveries they did not expect.
If each visitor had taken a preflight poll about their attitudes toward America and Americans, would any of us have been surprised by the findings? America is angry. Americans are rude. America is divided and has lost its way. And the food? No big deal. They might have asked: Does America have an identity? A soul? A heart? Let’s roll the videotape.
Then the travelers landed, met Americans, and everything changed. What a difference a journey makes.
A Brazilian fan told me that he had never met so many strangers who wanted to talk. A young fan from Poland told our group that he was stunned by how often someone offered help without being asked. An older businessman from Seoul, South Korea, said he had expected hostility and chaos, but instead found “a country that looks like a giant neighborhood.” One German fan said it best: “If you want to hate America, watch the news. If you want to love America, you need to walk through it.”
That is the thing about America: it is impossible to see or understand from a distance.
You must stand in it.
You need to breathe it in.
You need to let it overcome you.
You need to be surrounded by it.
You need to fall in love with it, and it will surprise you.+
Let’s talk about the food. We have seen TikToks about visitors’ stunned reactions to the enormity of Costco and the size of an average home in these parts, but it is the food that seems to receive the most attention. Waffle House, Texas barbecue, disco fries, Nathan’s hot dogs, White Manna cheeseburgers, neighborhood pizza, and even an organic California kelp smoothie—the food captured the attention of our travelers. Who would have guessed?
The funny thing about this recalibration of the American Dream is that it feels genuine, sincere, and widespread.
Here is the kicker: this was not planned. It was not acted out. It was not a dress rehearsal. It simply existed. It was seen. It was felt. And the world took notice. The visitors came for FIFA and braced themselves for hostile hosts. In turn, they received warmth, kindness, culture, food, and amazing people.
They expected to see the ugly urban legends and unflattering myths, but instead they found the contradictory truth: the United States was real, it was welcoming, and it was far better than advertised. How many heartwarming stories have we heard about Americans reaching out to our international friends, welcoming them into their homes and lives, and surrounding them with our culture and our specialness? Let us discover the truth and set it free.
Americans didn’t just welcome the world—they represented their country with a kind of everyday grace that is rarely seen on the international stage. They showed patience in crowded airports and subways. They showed kindness in packed stadiums and joined in with the customs and traditions of their visitors. Go ask the Ecuadorians if they felt welcome—the Greeks, the Algerians, the Cape Verdeans, the Japanese, the Senegalese, or the Norwegians. To a person, each country seemed to occupy a stadium, a restaurant, or a bar, and you saw visitors and Americans united as one group, singing, dancing, and partying like one happy family. Each visiting team had a host community, and that community quickly and willingly adopted the mood, culture, food, and atmosphere of the guest team. You cannot make this up. The only group with a legitimate complaint may have been the Scots, since Boston ran out of their beer far too fast—true story.
In the end, we owe a thank-you to all the participating Americans. They showed curiosity, humor, generosity, and that unique American instinct to help even when no one asked. They did their part, and it was heard around the world. This summer, the Americans became ambassadors without even trying. They showed up as they are—big-hearted, imperfect, funny, and yes, human. And the world took notice.
Job well done, America!
