The last time the World Cup took place, in 2022, I was a junior in college, living in a ramshackle student house. Though I wasn’t much of a sports person, every day I would make my way downstairs to watch the matches with my roommates. Between classes, we’d shout at the screen with a confusing amount of vigour for people who, up until that point, only used our TV to watch reality television or romance novel adaptations. 

There was a reason for our sudden excitement. As children of immigrants, all in university and living away from home, watching the World Cup was about more than just soccer – it was a way for us to feel closer to our respective cultures and families, especially at a time when we were so far from both. By watching players from our parents’ home countries and regions compete, we connected with our identities in a way that, as first-generation Americans, isn’t always easy to do. 

My experience isn’t unique. For decades, “the beautiful game” has been uniting people across the globe, and for those living in a culture outside of their own, providing a rare opportunity to feel closer to their heritage. With this summer’s games arriving at a time of extreme intolerance and anti-immigration rhetoric in the US, there’s perhaps never been a greater need for a game that strengthens community spirit.

Below, we asked third culture kids living in America what watching the World Cup means to them.

ABENA ANIM-SOMUAH, 29

“Growing up, [soccer] was life. I don’t think there’s anything that’s a stronger connecting point to my family and my culture… I feel like every time we moved somewhere new, the first thing after finding a church and school was finding the [local] soccer club.

“I think if you’re someone who’s grown up in the diaspora, sports are one of the times you get to see your country in a more global light, on this global stage. I am Ghanaian and I was born there, but having spent most of my life away from the country, [finding my own points of connection] is harder and harder. I feel like most of my understanding of Ghanaian culture is manifested through my parents, so being able to watch the World Cup, follow the players, and see how other Ghanaians are using this as an opportunity to showcase the blend of culture and foreign heritage is really exciting to see.” 

SERGINE DIAO, 25

“My dad is from Senegal, from an area right outside the capital, Dakar. My mum’s side is Jamaican, but she was born in England, and then moved to New York at a young age. Soccer has definitely made my relationship to my culture a lot closer. There’s this sense of pride you feel when you root for your team. Senegal has been really good recently, and I’ve seen the kind of joy that my dad has, because he doesn’t really go back to Senegal as much. Two years ago was the first time he visited in a long time, so it’s another thing that brings him closer to home.

“[Soccer] has made me feel a lot closer to my identity, because during the World Cup, you have a lot of Senegalese people around New York City representing a lot more, either in Brooklyn or in Harlem, which famously has a big West African population. It’s an excuse for people to come together. You’ll have people that go through their everyday lives day-to-day, and then the World Cup comes along, and you see a different side of them you haven’t seen before.”

JOANNA MEURKENS, 27

“My dad is from Germany and my mum is from Brazil, and those are two diehard soccer countries – they do not play around. Our WhatsApp group chat is crazy, and it’s always us sending reels about the World Cup. It’s just a point of conversation that brings us all together, and that allows us to have a lot of pride for where we come from.”

“Even if there’s beef in the family, we put it aside to talk about who got selected for the Brazil team… German and Brazilian culture are so different from each other, and even when playing, each team’s mentality is so different. I feel so proud of both of them, and soccer allows me to express those two parts of myself that I other times don’t.

“So many Americans are from different places, and being first-gen, sometimes there’s a lot going on in this country – they don’t want you to be proud of where you’re from, where your family’s from, where your roots are. But I think that’s really important in this climate. Especially this year – it’s like a ‘fuck you’ to all the people who say immigrants don’t deserve to be here.”

“Right now, there are so many hard things going on, and I do think the World Cup brings everyone together. It allows people to honour their culture. By going to watch the World Cup this year and being in an environment where there‘s going to be a lot of Turkish people around, it’ll make me feel more at home”

YASI AKYUREK, 25

“My family is from Istanbul, but in 2010, I moved to the States. In Turkey, we have our own soccer teams, and [growing up], my family were all Galatasaray fans. My grandmother was also a huge fan, and we would go over for Sunday night dinners. If there was a game, my grandmother would be shouting at the TV. My uncle, he can barely even watch the games because he gets so anxious.

“Football, in Turkish culture, is major. People go insane during the games, to the point where the amount of passion is crazy. I think [that passion] is connected to me now. Even when I run and am not competing with anyone, there’s some sort of drive that comes with it, and I think that’s because of how I grew up, and how my family grew up around sports and tradition.

“Right now, there are so many hard things going on, and I do think the World Cup brings everyone together. It allows people to honour their culture. By going to watch the World Cup this year and being in an environment where there‘s going to be a lot of Turkish people around, it’ll make me feel more at home.” 

TOLANI ALIYU, 24

“Growing up, soccer was a big part of [family] bonding, especially with my dad. My dad is from Nigeria, and my mum is from Haiti, so I have two cultures in the mix. I have vivid memories of watching the games with him, and him trying to explain how the English Premier League and all the teams worked, and me pretending to understand because I was so young… This could be a stereotype of African dads, but he’s a little bit more reserved. When it comes to soccer, though, he does share, he is very passionate and will talk on and on. So, it’s just a way to spend time with him and bond.

“Though Nigeria didn’t qualify for the World Cup this year, Haiti did. With Haiti, this is [only] the second time they’ve qualified, and the last time was in 1974, so over 50 years ago. In Haiti right now, there’s a lot of political turmoil, internal strife, and gang violence. So for a multitude of reasons, I think qualifying means so much for our culture. There’s just been so much negative news surrounding Haiti, and I feel like the national team making the World Cup offers some glimmer of hope for our country and our people.”

RACHEL FRIMPONG, 25

“Both of my parents immigrated from Ghana and moved to the United States in 2000. For the World Cup, my family would watch every time it was on. We would always bond over that, and it was always fun to experience Ghana, watch them play and continue to support. My family overseas would always be rooting and cheering everybody on, too, so it was a way to connect with them as well.

“[The World Cup] makes it inspiring to see the potential for anybody’s path. My family works very hard, so I’ve been inspired by that, as well as them balancing hanging out with us, watching soccer as a family, but also being able to focus on their work and passions.”