World Cup 2026: Why America's Still Waiting for the Party to Start

You’d think with the World Cup kicking off in Mexico City in just days, the entire United States would be buzzing. Instead, it feels like the tournament has yet to feel fully real for fans and even some players across America.

The Calm Before the Storm

Fair dinkum, this is weird. We’re talking about the biggest World Cup in history — 48 teams, three host nations, and matches spread across some of America’s most iconic sporting venues. Yet walk down any street in New York or Los Angeles right now and you’d struggle to find evidence that football’s biggest party is about to land on their doorstep.

The tournament officially began its planning phase back in 2018 when FIFA delegates cast their votes in Moscow. But planning a World Cup and feeling a World Cup are two completely different beasts. Right now, America feels more like it’s hosting someone else’s celebration rather than throwing its own massive bash.

Part of the issue is geography. When your opening match is in Mexico City and your tournament spans from Vancouver to Miami, it’s hard to build that concentrated, festival atmosphere that smaller host nations create so effortlessly. The USA might be getting 60 of the 104 matches, but that doesn’t guarantee the entire country will catch World Cup fever simultaneously.

Where’s the Socceroos Buzz?

For us Aussies, this presents a fascinating backdrop for our Socceroos campaign. Our opening clash with Türkiye at BC Place in Vancouver is now just 10 days away, followed by that massive showdown against the hosts in Seattle. You’d expect American interest in their own team to be building toward fever pitch, especially with home advantage.

But here’s the thing — American sports culture doesn’t work like ours. They don’t stop everything for a month-long football festival the way we do. Baseball season’s in full swing, NBA playoffs have just wrapped, and for many casual fans, “soccer” is still that thing their kids play on weekends.

The real test comes when England arrive, or when Argentina and Messi potentially make their final World Cup appearance. That’s when you’ll see whether America’s ready to embrace this thing properly.

The Sleeping Giant Awakens

Don’t mistake this quiet lead-up for indifference, though. American sports fans are world-class when they decide to show up. The problem is they often need the event to actually start before they fully commit. Once that first ball is kicked and the highlights start rolling across every sports network, things will change fast.

The infrastructure’s there, the venues are world-class, and underneath this calm exterior, there’s genuine excitement building. It just doesn’t look like the carnival atmosphere we’re used to seeing in smaller host nations.

For the Socceroos, this could actually work in our favour. Less pressure, fewer distractions, and the chance to make some noise while America’s still waking up to what’s happening in its own backyard.

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FD — Sports reporter, australiafootball.com

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