As the World Cup hits the ground running in the United States for the first time since 1994, all eyes are on the world-renowned players that are stepping foot in numerous North American cities.
While much of the attention is focused on the likes of Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal or Kylian Mbappe, there is also a chance for content creators to take advantage of the press that the tournament is gaining.
With the World Cup being played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, many have been able to go to games and meet players for content. For Ahmed Fadl, who started making content after injuries derailed his playing career, the opportunities to give his fans on-site coverage have been a game-changer.
“Content creation changed my life,” Fadl said. “ Me being a content creator and attending the games and meeting players. I was at the Brazil Egypt game and I met Vini Jr., I met Salah. I met all the legends I see on TV.”
Fadl has wanted to use his content to be a voice for people outside of America who may not be able to attend the World Cup. He wants to use his platform to show them what is going on behind the scenes, talking to fans at the events around New York City.
Lilibeth Rendon has been waiting for the World Cup to be on American soil and even got to root for her country, Ecuador in the World Cup. For her, the best part has been seeing people from across the globe being able to connect over one thing they all can enjoy—soccer.
While soccer is the biggest sport around the world, it isn’t the top dog in the United States. But Rendon wanted to use her platform to show that there is a big soccer culture in the US and for people to see that love for the game firsthand.
“The thing I’m looking forward to most is that there is a soccer culture here,” Rendon said. “That we love the game. There’s a lot of us of different ethnicities who grew up watching the sport in the United States…I want you to live soccer the way that we live it here.”
“I think that New York is a melting pot,” Shanely Leonardini said. “I think it’s just so diverse you can see different cultures…I’m so excited because we also host the finals, so it’s going to be great energy all around.”
For Angel Reyes Muniz, the World Cup brings a sense of national pride that he wants to show his fans. Mexico won their group and advanced to the knockout stage of the tournament and he feels like the tournament can help bring people together over the sport.
“If you’re Mexican and from New York, it just makes sense to be proud of yourself because you got Knicks in 5 and then you got Mexico winning the first game of the World Cup, man. It only makes sense to be proud,” Reyes Muniz said. “I’m feeling very excited for Mexico and everybody, all the countries, especially all the countries that are coming together to unite together and just show love to everybody because we’re all one and I feel like we can definitely do a big thing.”
There is also a hope that the World Cup in the US will help grow the game to new heights. The same thing happened back in 1994, with the tournament helping start Major League Soccer, which is now in its 31st season.
With that being said they also think that the United States National team having a good showing will also help impact the growth of the game. When the 2014 World Cup team was successful, the country was able to get behind them, despite a 2-1 loss to Belgium in the Round of 16. The same thing happened in 2018, when the team failed to even qualify for the tournament and interest took a dip.
“I think that the rest of the world can see that the US actually does know about football,” Alfardy Ali said. “It’s a great time for us to show that we have the fans and we have what it takes to be taken seriously as football fans. The World Cup will be the best way for people to understand that we love football just as much as the rest of the world.”
The city has turned into a melting pot of different cultures and residents traveling to watch parties. With the World Cup coming to New York, many content creators want to focus on the communities that their countries are playing.
“My content is very focused on diversity and telling those stories of all the people and communities that live here in New York City,” Maria Isabelle Parada said. “And how much soccer means for them to watch their national team play live.”
