World Cup tourists go viral for discovering American food and roadside stops

Foreign visitors moving through the United States for the World Cup are finding a different kind of American landmark on social media: ranch dressing, Buc-ee’s, Big Gulps and Waffle House. The clips are spreading because they capture something more intimate than stadium shots, showing first-time tourists reacting to the daily rituals of U.S. food and roadside culture as they move through host cities and beyond.

One of the loudest viral moments came from Elsa Thora, a Swedish fan traveling through Indiana. She posted after encountering ranch sauce, writing, “EUROPE WE NEED RANCH ASAP,” and later added that the experience felt surreal enough to make her say, “I feel like I’m in a movie.” Her posts also showed a breakfast of hash browns, gravy and eggs, plus stops for Twinkies and Combos, while one report said she screamed with excitement after spotting a yellow school bus rolling down the street. The reaction made an ordinary Midwestern travel day look like a cultural reveal.

A separate viral run came from a German supporter known as FreddyLA7, who posted from Atlanta, Georgia, and elsewhere. He rated a visit to Waffle House a 10/10 and turned a Buc-ee’s stop into a punchline, joking, “DUDE LMAO THIS IS A GAS STATION.” Together, the posts frame Buc-ee’s, Waffle House and convenience-store snacks as a kind of unofficial welcome committee for international visitors. Other reactions have centered on 7-Eleven Big Gulps and American hot dogs, extending the same theme: what is routine to U.S. travelers is novel enough abroad to draw millions of views.

The timing matters. The 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup is being hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, and the U.S. portion includes 11 host cities. With millions of spectators expected to travel for the tournament, these snack runs and roadside detours are becoming a form of soft power, an accidental branding campaign for everyday America. The country is not only selling its stadiums and skylines; it is also exporting a shareable version of itself built around gas stations, hash browns, ranch and oversized fountain drinks.

That rebranding comes with a sharper edge. In late 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection proposed a rule that would require some travelers from Visa Waiver Program countries to submit five years of social media history for ESTA review. The proposal, which would affect travelers from 42 countries, drew criticism from privacy advocates and travel commentators. For now, though, the most visible face of the World Cup in the U.S. is not a checkpoint or a policy debate. It is a fan discovering ranch for the first time and deciding that America, in all its oddness, is worth posting about.