Score
Waffle House is winning the World Cup
The article highlights how Waffle House and other American brands are gaining positive attention from international tourists during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, showcasing the appeal of everyday American culture. This unexpected wave of admiration not only enhances the brands' visibility but also contributes to a more favorable perception of the United States at a time when its global reputation is challenged.
FastCompany: On the eve of its 250 th birthday, the United States isn’t exactly at peak popularity, globally speaking. One poll this past spring found that despite its past most-admired status, the U.S. is now viewed less favorably than China in much of the world. Cohosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup amid inflation and various travel restrictions isn’t helping. But road-tripping World Cup tourists have been offering a counterpoint on social media, posting a wave of admiring, and occasionally gobsmacked, content about everyday American brands and chains like Buc-ee’s, Waffle House, Walmart, and Chick-fil-A.
Posts often express amazement at the scale and convenience and free soda refills. Not surprisingly, the posts and their pro-American-brand messages have been widely amplified by a bemused U.S. press. “It’s like a theme park and a museum all wrapped into, you know, a big retail store,” a Scottish visitor to a Bass Pro Shops location told The New York Times . A German soccer fan, @FreddyLA7 , started a six-week Cup-centric journey across the U.S. and Canada a few days before the tournament began, and has ended up attracting hundreds of thousands of X followers with his enthusiastic posts about routine American culture.
“The Holy land,” he pronounced a Taco Bell . “Great food, great prices, and friendly staff,” he reported after trying his first Waffle House, in Georgia, at the appropriate time of 1 a.m. “10/10, we will be coming back.” (True to his word, at a later stop in New Orleans, one of America’s great and distinct food cities, he opted for Waffle House again .) Just had our first Waffle House experience at 1am. Great food, great prices, and friendly staff. 10/10, we will be coming back.😋 pic.twitter.com/QHgftpqfoX — Freddy🇩🇪 (@FreddyLA7) June 8, 2026 View this post on Instagram He’s not the only international visitor excited by such fare.
In fact, he’s part of what’s grown into essentially a global coalition of newly minted American brand fans . “This was the best chicken I’ve ever had,” one self-described “British girl in America enjoying the culture” posted from a Chick-Fil-A.
“Don’t even get me started on the sauce, what on earth do they put in it to make it taste so good.” A Scottish tourist spoke up for Raising Cane’s (“the sauce is delish”), a Japanese visitor marveled at the free chips and salsa at a Mexican place, and a Swedish influencer compared buying Twinkies from a gas station to being “ in a movie .” Just a British girl in America enjoying the culture This was the best chicken I’ve ever had. Don’t even get me started on the sauce, what on earth do they put in it to make it taste so good.
pic.twitter.com/u5c4nn3uhg — Leah Ray (@LeahRay44) June 12, 2026 When the Scots discover Buc-ee’s in America 😍🦫 pic.twitter.com/P25OmmTV02 — Shaun 🏴🇺🇸 (@shaunvlog_) June 11, 2026 A few posts also note practical surprises, like high travel costs or locked toiletries in stores, but the dominant mood is excitement and novelty. Lots of World Cup tourists seem to be treating American brands and chains as part of the sightseeing experience, enjoying an “everyday America” experience of huge gas stations and big-box stores—weirdly reframed as de facto tourist attractions—as much as actual matches.
Article truncated for readability. Read the full piece →
The article discusses the unexpected positive attention American brands are receiving during a major global event, which is significant for brand visibility and perception, making it relevant and moderately novel for brand strategy professionals.