The build up to 2026 world cup, as is always the case, was marred by negativity. Sufficiently so for many fans to steer clear and watch from home, or even boycotting it completely. Pre-tournament, I predicted it wouldn’t quite live up to the high standards of previous World Cups I’d been to in Brazil and Russia. But how did we get on in reality…?
3 months in advance of the tournament I purchased my one and only ticket, £350 for a group game against Ghana. The same price as my semi-final ticket in Russia so I was hardly excited, more in fear of the overall upcoming cost.
Thankfully my house was due for remortgage so a little money was extracted from the bricks and mortar. It may have put my retirement back a year or two but what the hell, I’m all for living for the moment and there was no way I was missing this World Cup.
All set for America
A very understanding employer and a surprisingly good value £550 return flight to New York and I was all set for 3 and a half weeks in North America to enjoy the greatest show on earth. My 4th World Cup and 7th tournament following England, exciting times.
I’m a big fan of planning trips in detail but I also love the mystery and adventure that comes with an unscripted pilgrimage. This time the final two weeks would be at the hands of the Football Gods, hopefully they won’t let me down.
My ol’ pal Casey lives near Philadelphia, just across the border into New Jersey so it seemed an appropriate place to kick things off. As my reliable travel buddy for 12 years, it was brilliant to finally visit him in his hometown. Having not been to the States since travelling the length of the West Coast back in 2015, I was looking forward to being back amongst it.
Feeling fresh on the first morning, I managed to sneak in a 5km run, something I was aiming to do on this holiday whenever I wasn’t waking up hungover. A visit to the Fanzone to watch the USA take on Australia was next up, late arrival and amateurish organisation meant we missed half the game due to queues.
The place was full and it was clear that the locals were getting behind their team, even those with little previous interest in ‘Soccer’. A two-nil win was a delight for the home side, but the intense heat meant I was happy to make a sharp exit at full time.
Game time
Fun as it was, this was just a prelude to the evening’s main course. Casey, with a little encouragement, had bought tickets for several games in Philly long before qualification was complete and teams were announced. Tickets were $150 each but Case had kindly gifted this to me, a nod to the distance travelled and expense incurred to get there, muchas gracias amigo.
We continued to pre-game at the ‘Stateside Live’ complex, full of fans watching Morocco ease past the Scots while enjoying the lively DJ set. Approaching Lincoln Financial Field in decent time, it was a cracking venue. A scorcher of a day and the stadium looked world class, particularly once inside.
Nothing epitomises the World Cup like seeing the beautiful yellow shirt of Brazil, so I was feeling blessed to be watching one of my favourite countries in the world on the biggest stage of all for a second time.
The elation was briefly halted when the first World Cup reality check came whilst purchasing a beer each and an iconic Philly Cheesesteak, perhaps not the best in town but it is what it is. $64!!! $22 for a beer. The long climb back to our seats and the crazy cost meant that’d be it for the day. Not always the worst idea.
A site to behold
Back in our seats, the views were stunning, right up in the Gods we had a full view of ‘The Eagles’ home stadium in all its glory. An added bonus was the breathtaking Philly skyline which gave countless photo opportunities as the sun set throughout the evening. Aaand when a young man made his way up to our seats selling beers it was rude to say ‘no’ so another Michelob Ultra was consumed. A harsh introduction as to how quickly costs can rack up in the US.
The vibes were positive. Haiti, a classic example of the ‘Happy to be here’ category and Brazil bringing the energy just as they always do. The ‘Movimento Verde e Amarelo’ put out an incredible Tifo of the star men from each of their five World Cup triumphs making up the famous ‘Pentacampeao’. A beautiful sight.
Some people love the underdogs, but I don’t want to see a low block frustrate the finest players the game has to offer. I want to see the global superstars show exactly why they are considered the best in the world. And right on cue, Vini Jr and Matheus Cunha predictably tore apart the opposition defence bringing cheers throughout the stadium, even the Haitian fans continued to dance and sing and soak up the occasion.
The controversial hydration break had been getting nothing but abuse back home, from myself included. But when in the heart of the action, I could hardly argue with a rendition of Living on a Prayer being blasted from the speakers just metres above us.
All in all, arguably my favourite ever international game I’ve attended as a neutral, cracking atmosphere in an incredible venue watching ‘A Seleção Brasileira’ strut their stuff and stroll to a 3-0 victory that could have been more but for a few tight offside calls. What’s not to love?
A tranquil journey back meant we rose the next day fresh faced and ready for the hour-long road trip down to Jersey Shore. Not quite the area dramatized in the show of the same name but further up the coast in North Jersey.
The Boss
With Bruce Springsteen being my favourite artist of all time, it was a long-time dream to head down to the area where he spent his formative years. Driving over, we put on his Greatest Hits and sung our hearts out, the beauty of his music is the depth of the lyrics and it wasn’t long until I was getting emotional. Always good for the soul.
In just a couple of days, we got in another run, a classic car show, a visit to Springsteen’s former home, a regular restaurant haunt of his, his own museum and the town where he made his name down in Asbury Park. We got the full Bruce experience, and it was a pleasure to tick off another bucket list item.
Heading back, it was hard not to notice driving through the predominantly Jewish town of Deal, that it was by far the wealthiest area I had ever seen in my life. The size of the houses was impressive enough but the sheer volume of them was off the scale. You could drive for 10 minutes and see nothing but mansions. Mind-blowing to imagine the amount of money in this area.
I’d ticked off a couple of new states in the first few days but now it was off to New England to watch the original England.