The World Cup knockout phase is finally here. And if you thought managing a summer trip across just one country was tough, try throwing a global tournament across three. We are looking at a completely unprecedented geographic footprint right now as the United States, Canada, and Mexico co-host the men’s tournament. The sheer scale of traveling between these borders is testing fans and teams alike. But that hasn’t stopped local enthusiasm from boiling over.
Just look at what is happening on the ground in Southern California. The local demand is completely overwhelming host venues. While assessing the atmosphere across the region, a recent experiential travelogue for ESPN by journalist Mark Ogden found that Cup fever has thoroughly taken hold. It is not just about the actual matches, either.
People are lining up just to watch the players practice. More than 32,000 fans applied for free tickets to attend a U.S. Men’s National Team training session down in Irvine. That is a huge turnout for a simple workout. The demand to catch a glimpse of the squad running drills shows exactly how invested local communities have become in this event.
Now, all eyes are turning north to Seattle. The USMNT successfully navigated their group and are scheduled to face Belgium in a highly anticipated Round of 16 match on July 6. Fans are scrambling to finalize their travel plans across the region to catch the action. It is a logistical puzzle. But for anyone soaking up the atmosphere in these host cities right now, the energy is completely infectious.