FIFA Series: What World Cup Fans Are Discovering About the Real America

FIFA Series: What World Cup Fans Are Discovering About the Real America

July 9, 2026 · 24 min

About this episode

Kavitha Davidson explores the fan culture surrounding the World Cup 2026, highlighting both viral moments and deeper issues within fandom.

World Cup 2026 fan culture takes center stage as Kavitha Davidson explores the viral moments defining this tournament - from Scottish fans turning Boston into "New Scotland" to Dutch, Norwegian, and Japanese supporters going viral worldwide. But beneath the wholesome clips lies a deeper story of visa denials, price barriers, and fandom's darker history, from Andrés Escobar's 1994 murder to Iceland's iconic Viking clap reminds us that intense fan emotions can lead in many ways. Previously in the FIFA series: "Who Gets Rich When the World Cup Comes to Town?" Host: Kavitha A. Davison | Producer & Writer: Paroma Chakravarty I Executive Producer: Saadia Khan | Research: Juan Sebastian Camacho I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Sportly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify to help more people find us!  You can reach the host, Kavitha, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kavitha@immigrantlypod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find Sportly on Instagram @sportlypod Follow us on TikTok @immigrantly  Sportly is an Immigrantly…

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