Pop Tarts, Buc-ee’s, and FIFA World Cup 2026
As the FIFA World Cup 2026 comes to a conclusion on the 19th of July, a whopping 6.5 million fans will have packed stadiums across North America making it the highest attended World Cup in all of history. The United States, Mexico, and Canada will have hosted 48 countries in sixteen cities with a total of 104 matches held in Vancouver BC, Toronto, Houston, Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, Dallas, Kansas City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Philadelphia, New York/New Jersey, Guadalajara, Monterey, and Mexico City.
My husband and I wanted to get in on one of the 104 “March to the Match” celebratory parades, so we joined 20,000 supporters of the Netherlands team who gathered at Rice University and marched to NRG Stadium. What a thrill it was to dress in orange, the color of the “Dutch Orange Army,” and participate in a fan walk through Houston streets.
We watched the games on TV, but my husband especially enjoyed watching YouTube reels of international fans showcasing their trips to Costco, Walmart, HEB, Bass Pro Shop, In and Out Burger, Whataburger, Waffle House, and Buc-ee’s. They were shocked by the proportions, free drink refills, and the extent of flavors and choices. When trying Texas BBQ for the first time, a Frenchman joked, “It’s better than any moment in my life and I’m married and have children.” My favorite shopping reel is of a young British woman at Walmart who was flabbergasted at the choices of Pop Tarts, “Oh my gosh, there are so many Pop Tarts. They even have extra protein Pop Tarts. I wish I were living here and not just road tripping so I could eat all these.” Another couple spent their first day in Houston checking out HEB. “Everywhere is food. Oh proper good, this feels like someone actually asked the general public what they want in a supermarket and then just ticked every single thing they wanted…I can see why Texans love it so much. Now, that definitely lived up to the hype!”
As a Lake Jackson resident, I got a special kick out of the international visitor’s perception of Buc-ee’s. One Brit said, “Buc-ee’s, it’s the largest petrol station you’ve ever seen. Everyone’s been telling me to go to Buc-ee’s for a long time. This place is humongous! This place is loud! They sell everything…nick knack paddy whacks. What’s goin’ on? I’m in shock!” Another said, “I would never go home if I could eat like this.” One man asked the checker, “Have you ever been to the UK? If you go, just be prepared to be disappointed by petrol stations. There is more food in this store than there is in the UK! I’m generally overwhelmed. Look, it’s a giant beaver, let’s take a selfie!” Another couple said, “Only America can make a gas station an attraction that everyone wants to come and see. Guys, I wasn’t expecting this; it’s like its own universe. It’s like Disneyland for adults, for hungry adults. That was an experience and a half!”
Who will ever forget the response of the Japanese visitor who reacted to complimentary chips and salsa? “In my land, hospitality is a debt. Here, the gift arrives before you have even proven you can pay for dinner. The trust of a nation is in that salsa, and I intend to honor all of it.” Japanese fans picked up all the trash discarded after the game, filling bag after bag with empty water bottles and beer cans. One Japanese woman said, “This is what we do in Japan. This is how we show respect to our host country.”
There were so many more heart-warming stories surrounding the World Cup. The Scotch “Tartan Army” partied in Boston, drank the city dry, played bagpipes with American street performers, and affectionately placed orange cones on the heads of historical statues. A German fan named Freddy, went viral and was given VIP treatment by JJ Watt, who helped him get a flight to the German match in Canada. The Norwegians took their “Viking Row” action to the stadium, the escalators, Times Square, and to Good Morning America. When the Algerian team came to Kansas, the University of Kansas band showed them hospitality by playing the Algerian national anthem. In Mexico, South Koreans were greeted with chants of “Coreano! Hermano! Ya eres Mexicano! Korean brother, you are now Mexican!”
While attending the 2018 World Cup in Russia, a Korean American said, “This is so much more than football (soccer). This is just so much more than winning and losing,” he said. “This is what it's really about, right? Creating core memories with strangers in a foreign land.” Even the Iranian team, whose participation has been fraught with complication and frustration by the team, left this message scrawled on a note in the Las Angeles locker room, “May peace, respect, and friendship prevail among all nations.” After 39 days of soccer highs and lows, we will rejoice with the winning team on the 19th of July. But despite who wins or loses, as Americans, our win is in this comment from an international fan who created core memories here and said, “You hear a different kind of America on the news, but this America is one that I like.”
Published in The Facts Brazos Living column July 8, 2026
