Phoebe y Crawford

Summertime 2026–the world chose to come to North America

Is football really bigger than life? Can the game teach the United States of MAGA that we are all humans? Can the game teach USA that we can unite around a game and each other?

I decided to go beyond those big questions and focus on US and our little world.

If I could share our plan for experiencing the world tournament in the United States with the rest of the country, maybe it would allow us to find joy. Just maybe you’d be able to find ways to keep your little world in focus instead of paying attention to the spin coming out of the current American administration. Life is short, but sweet for certain, focusing on the things we can’t control only allows us to lose control of our choices in how we live. Soccer has been with me for my entire life. Sharing my joy with my partner helps us create a bond over one more area of life. Experiencing games with fans from Jordan and Austria allowed us to observe unconditional love for the game and the respective countries. Hopefully the current administration stops scoring own goals during this tournament. The world coming to America and uniting all three major countries in North America over football is what needs to happen now.

A man and a woman smiling for a selfie in a crowded stadium, surrounded by enthusiastic fans holding red noise makers, with stadium lights and a lively atmosphere in the background.
Crowd of people gathering in front of a stadium, featuring banners for an event and a clear blue sky.
A man and a woman wearing matching red shirts smile for a selfie in a stadium filled with red seats during a sports event.
Exterior view of a stadium with a clear blue sky, featuring large signage that reads 'STADIUM'.
Crowd of fans gathering outside a stadium with banners and decorations for the FIFA World Cup 2026, under a clear blue sky.
Large screen displaying the word 'AUSTRIA' on a red background at a stadium during a sports event.
Red scoreboard displaying the name 'JORDAN' in large white letters at a stadium during an event.
View of a stadium with red seats, empty sections, and a green soccer field set for a match. Some spectators are seated in the foreground, with banners and advertisements visible around the pitch.
Two soccer balls on a green field.
A vibrant sunset over an urban landscape with buildings and a bustling crowd below.
Sunset over a busy outdoor area with a large crowd and buildings in the background, featuring a sign that reads 'San Francisco Bay Area' and another promoting the FIFA World Cup.
A crowded outdoor area in front of a stadium, featuring a large illuminated sign that reads 'SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA'. People of various ages are gathered, many wearing team colors or jerseys, with the sunset in the background.
A view of a soccer stadium with empty red seats and workers watering the pitch with sprinklers before a match, featuring signage for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
A crowded stadium during a soccer match between Austria and Jordan, with two teams warming up on the field and a large scoreboard displaying the match details.
View of a crowded stadium during a soccer match, with fans sitting in the stands and a large scoreboard displaying player formations and game information.
Scoreboard displaying the team formation '4-2-3-1' and player lineup for Austria during a match at a stadium, with a red background.
A large crowd watches a soccer match at a stadium during sunset, with players warming up on the field.
A soccer referee discussing with two players on the field, one in a white jersey and the other in a red jersey, during a match.
A view of a soccer match with players on the field and a large crowd in the stands, displaying banners for Jordan and Austria, during the FIFA World Cup 2026 event.
A crowded stadium at night during a soccer match, showing players on the field with a large scoreboard displaying the score 2-1.
A soccer match in progress at a stadium filled with spectators, featuring players from Jordan and Austria, with a scoreboard displaying the score of 2-1.

This was a good little outing to reflect back on the 1994 trip to the Meadowlands for Norway vs Ireland. This was a perfect time to make new memories and reflect on special family moments.

This time around I had to fight the ticketing system to get tickets, unlike 1994 when we took a family trip after receiving sponsor tickets. No breakfast at a diner in Kearney this time around. No need to go to Ellis Island. Instead of driving to New Jersey or Philadelphia–2026’s destination was San Francisco Bay Area. The great thing about the Bay Area Stadium compared to most of the USA venues in 2026– transportation. There are three major airports that service the Bay Area along with a kick ass public transit system to get fans to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara from San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. The Bay Area has a population similar to the two countries who played in the game we attended. Let that sit.

Country/StateAustriaJordanCaliforniaPennsylvania
Population8,877,06710,101,69439,355,30913,078,751
Largest CityViennaAmmanLos AngelesPhiladelphia
GDP$446 billion $44 billion$4.250 trillion$1.056 trillion
Founded1867 Austria-Hungary1946??1850 admitted to the Union1681
Other InfoRepublic of AustriaHashemite Kingdom of JordanThe Golden State Bay Area Population 9,714,023Keystone State, Quaker State
Flag of Austria featuring three horizontal stripes: red at the top and bottom with a white stripe in the middle.
Flag of Jordan featuring black, white, green, and red horizontal stripes with a red triangle and a white star.
Flag of Pennsylvania featuring a blue background, a shield depicting a landscape with a ship, and two black horses flanking the shield, topped with an eagle.
California state flag featuring a grizzly bear, a red star, and the words 'California Republic'.

Take one more look at the pictures. Let me know when you last bought a pair of Levi’s jeans.

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About the author

Phoebe and Crawford are two Bridge to Home rescue dogs living their best life together in Aspinwall. They get out daily in nature, take their humans for walks and coffee. Peloton and Place is Crawford’s training game. When we are not sleeping on a couch, we are chasing squirrels and birds in our backyard.

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