While visiting my family in Seattle for Father’s Day, I was fortunate enough to attend the June 19^th World Cup match between the US Men’s National team and Australia’s Socceroos. This is how I found myself one beer deep and adrift in an undulating sea of yellow at around 10 in the morning (see photo).

Kickoff was at noon, and we made our way downtown by about 8:45. I had initially questioned the need to get going before 9, but quickly realized as we approached Pioneer Square that if anything, we were fashionably late. Old Seattle was positively star-spangled. I brushed past shirtless men in eagle costumes (think of that one episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and was too shy to ask for a photo with some founding fathers. There were “USA!” chants. Given what it means to live in the U.S. today, the full-throated displays of national pride felt… pretty weird!

Perhaps in an ideal world soccer would be apolitical. The best part of the World Cup is how it brings people from different cultures and backgrounds together for the love of the game. Many such heartwarming moments have recently charted on Al Gore’s internet, such as Scottish fans taking over Boston and playing the bagpipes on the famous cop slide, and Mexican fans embracing their new Korean brothers. Even TSA weighed in on the fun, issuing special notices for foreign fans traveling home from the U.S. with large amounts of ranch dressing. One comes away from all of this believing that the majority of people are not only inherently good, but also actively excited to learn about, embrace and celebrate our differences. These days, I find I often need to actively remind myself that I really do believe this, too. This World Cup has been a welcome reassurance that most of humanity is actually OK. Similarly, I like to think most soccer fans have come away from their time in the U.S. understanding that the people who live here aren’t all as insane as our political output would have the world believe.

Of course, with any competition between nations, especially when FIFA is in the captain’s chair, it is impossible to completely set politics aside. Some national teams have earned international scorn because of their long colonial histories, while some players have caught heat for how they have chosen to engage with the politics of today. In fact, in a beautiful way, drinking the haterade can in itself be a global unifier. England’s national team, for example, has managed to unite much of the world in fervent support for whoever they are playing. This social media post by Aldi Ireland ahead of the quarter final game between England and Norway paints a picture of a thousand words. When the U.S. striker Balogun’s red card was rescinded and we lost spectacularly in an embarrassment of a showing against Belgium in the round of 16, the sting of that loss was assuaged by the fact that almost everyone else was happy to see us go. The Belgian team mocked Trump with his signature dance and the world was at peace.

Possibly the greatest unifier in this tournament is the proverbial People’s Princess of the 2026 World Cup, Erling Braut Haaland. This 6’5” blonde behemoth of a man lumbered into our stadiums, living rooms, and social media feeds to steal our hearts away with his on-pitch prowess and his off-pitch good-humored sincerity. He and the Norwegian national team donated the proceeds of one of their World Cup qualifying matches to Doctors Without Borders in Gaza. He bought and donated the only surviving copy of a medieval book of Viking sagas to his local library for the public to enjoy.He returned from the U.S. with his head held high and with a gorgeous taxidermy of a raccoon holding a bottle of whiskey. Haaland and his signature blonde locks have become a de facto symbol of healthy masculinity. Three weeks ago, I had no idea who this man was. Now I’m one of 60 million followers on Instagram. I might have to become a Manchester City fan.

In a world divided, and despite the best efforts of a few Fat Cats up top who always try to line their pockets and spoil the fun, this World Cup has proven to be an overwhelmingly positive reflection of the best of humanity. Power to the people, long live the beautiful game, may it NEVER come home, and God save Erling.