By Leah Gabriella Cardenas

This summer, the FIFA World Cup was played all around the United States while I was across the pond for an eight week internship. The first match was the very same day I started packing for London. Now, five weeks into my stay here, the World Cup has come to an end and I have become a bit of a football fan. 

The FIFA World Cup is an international competition between men’s national football teams. It started in 1930 and happens every four years. This year, it was hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

American football is much more popular than soccer in the States. Because the U.S. co-hosted the tournament though, Americans showed up and showed out for the World Cup. Seattle, where I go to college, hosted several games and huge crowds of people gathered around the city to watch each one. Though many Americans have always enjoyed soccer, it seems that an even greater appreciation for the sport has soared back home. 

I personally have never been particularly interested in football. My high school Spanish teacher was Argentinian so during the 2022 World Cup, she’d play Argentina’s matches for us on the projector in class. I also have some friends who are big fans and I’d sometimes watch them play. Still, I came here having very little knowledge of the sport.

At first, the games were a good excuse for us CIEE interns to go out during the week, while also providing a lively atmosphere. But soon, I found myself genuinely invested in each match. I think as a naturally competitive person, it was easy to root for a team even without knowing all the rules of the sport. Obviously being here in London, I began cheering for England. 

England fans are very passionate and it seemed like everyone came out for each match no matter the time. This made for some entertainment outside of what happened on the TV. The first time I went out to watch England play, a guy painted his entire face with the England flag. Then, when England beat Mexico at 4am, fans were wide awake honking and cheering for what seemed like hours afterward. 

Back in Seattle, one of my friends is also a huge England fan. “My dad is from the UK so we always grew up with football on in the house,” said Kirin Yadav. “This year in particular, I felt like I could really get into watching all the games because it’s here in the U.S.” Yadav is a graduate student at the University of Washington. 

However, some of my fellow London CIEE interns had other allegiances during the tournament. A number of them were rooting for Mexico before England knocked them out during the round of 16. 

I watched the England versus Argentina match at a pub near my friends’ flat. It was packed and the TV was small, but all that mattered to us was the atmosphere. Unfortunately, that night, England’s World Cup championship run came to an end. I was sad for the team and the fans. Still, there was the third place play off that Saturday against France. After a ten-goal game, England was awarded third place. 

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Then, with the final match this past Sunday, Spain came up on top. I still tuned in for part of the match though I wasn’t cheering for either team in particular. It was quite the watch as a red card was given to Argentina and the game went into extra time. In the end, Spain’s Ferran Torres scored and they became World Cup Champions for the second time ever. 

Now that the World Cup is over, we’ll see if I continue to keep up with football and if more Americans will start supporting Major League Soccer. In four years during the next World Cup, I imagine the competition and energy will be the same if not greater. But for me, there might never be another World Cup as enjoyable as this one because who knows when I’ll be in London again. I’ve also come to witness that no matter the country you root for or live in, World Cup fever is truly contagious.