When I first arrived in the United States for my fellowship, I was looking forward to how much football, what Americans call soccer, would shape my experience. I thought the game might be something most Americans only followed from afar. To my surprise it has become a bridge giving me new friendships, moments of joy, and lessons about culture.
One of my favorite memories so far was attending a Minnesota United match in Minneapolis. I went with two of my fellows, Marcelo and Ian, and Terry, a member of one of our host families. We joined the supporters’ section called the Wonderwall. From the first whistle, the energy was electric.
The stadium was sold out, and fans sang and cheered as one. What stood out to me most was the diversity of the players on the pitch. You could see athletes from many different backgrounds working together as a team. For me, that was football at its best.
Minnesota FC fans turned up in numbers for their team
A few weeks later, I found myself in Chicago with a ball at my feet once again. This time it was not a professional game. I had joined a pickup match with 11 strangers I met through a Facebook group. We rented a small indoor space and started to play. Nobody asked for names at first. We only needed the ball.
The teams included Kenya, Italy, the United States, Haiti, Latin America, and even Eastern Europe. Our languages were different, but once the ball rolled, we understood one another. We passed, shouted, laughed and celebrated goals. By the end, it felt like we had been friends for years.
These experiences have reinforced the idea of football as a universal language. It does not matter if you are in Nairobi, Rome, Port-au-Prince, or Chicago. The rules are the same. The emotions are the same. A goal sparks the same joy everywhere. That power to connect people is special. It can break barriers that words cannot.
What has surprised me the most in the United States is how quickly the game is growing. Fans are showing more passion. More kids are wearing jerseys of their favorite stars. More people know about global tournaments.
It is not the country’s most popular sport yet, but it is rising. And with the United States set to co-host the FIFA World Cup in 2026, that passion will only grow stronger.
