World Cup
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June 12, 2026 | 10:47 AM
4 minutes to read
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My first — and until this Saturday, only — direct experience with the World Cup came on June 23, 1994. All of seven years old, I walked wide-eyed with my family into Giants Stadium to see Italy vs. Norway.
Frankly, I do not remember Dino Baggio’s lone goal in a 1-0 Italian win, or really too much of the game itself. What I do remember is basically everything else. Even at a young age, I inherently understood the Italian fans were a respected entity, cheering for what was (at that time) one of the world’s leading soccer powers.
What surprised me, and what sticks with me to this day, was how simultaneously incredible the Norway fans were. Their Viking attire naturally appealed to me, and they were a jovial bunch.
Not everyone was good natured, but I was riveted. We saw a brief fight occur in the upper deck, and at some point in the second half a gentleman seated behind us complained loudly about the FIFA-mandated selection of beverages, culminating with the assertion that “this beer tastes like [expletive].”
“How does he know what [expletive] tastes like?” my brother innocently asked my father, unintentionally delivering one of the best deadpan jokes I’ve ever heard.
My experience, already at an all-time high, was completed when we later stopped at a McDonalds that had a particularly vast PlayPlace on the drive home. By what I thought was possible at that age, it was a perfect day.
From l-r: My brother, my dad, and little me on the right.
It was all so vibrant, colorful, cultural, and impactful. In retrospect, it was an extremely formative experience. I sit here decades later as a journalist, an American whose favorite sport has always been (and remains) soccer. My connection to it has opened doors, created lifelong friendships, and led me down rabbit holes of learning and exploration that positively shaped my view of the world.
Four years after my 1994 experience, I was fixated on any television showing the 1998 World Cup hosted in France. I remember way more of the actual soccer from that tournament, from the U.S. faltering, to David Beckham’s shocking red card, to Zinedine Zidane taking his place among the legends in the final. The tournaments when you’re a kid resonate. They become a centerpiece for your life in that moment, and echo for decades afterward.
It’s why the current reality of the World Cup is so jarring.
Beyond its highly-discussed issues — costs, travel restrictions, poor coordination of FIFA with local organizers — is the simple reality that this is a World Cup that’s designed for someone other than one of its core fan groups.
Why else would the first United States game start at 9 p.m. on Friday? The third U.S. group stage game (against Turkey on June 25) kicks off at 10 p.m. The first game at “Boston Stadium” (Gillette Stadium) between Haiti and Scotland gets going at 9 p.m. That will be 2 a.m. in Scotland.
Children cheer for Japan during a training session at the Tigres Training Center (CET) in San Nicolas de los Garza, ahead of the FIFA 2026 World Cup football tournament. (Julio Cesar Aguilar for Getty)
How exactly are the next generation of fans supposed to engage with this?
The Haiti-Scotland kickoff directly prevented my own six-year-old nephew from attending, since we did not know either the matchup or the kickoff time when the tickets were purchased last fall.
Fortunately, my father — who waited on the phone to get tickets in ‘94 — waited online after the initial presale draw back in Oct. 2025 and bought absurdly-priced tickets to a second game better suited for a young fan.
I cherish the thought of passing down my World Cup experience to my nephew, who I know will be buzzing with excitement, but I can’t look past what FIFA has allowed its signature event to become.
The difficult reality is that we can’t fix FIFA overnight, or even in a decade (it’s been tried). What would be nice, at least, is if the organization entrusted with one of the planet’s most celebrated events actually tried to let some of its youngest and most important fans back in.
The World Cup is for everyone. Maybe next time FIFA could at least schedule all of the late-night kickoffs for the West Coast like a proper sports organization.
Topic:
World Cup
Everything to know for the 2026 World Cup in Boston
Trivia
Speaking of USA ‘94 (and Italy), what Italian player famously missed the final penalty kick of the shootout at the end of that year’s final?
Hint: His nickname in Italian was “Il Divin Codino” (“The Divine Ponytail”).
Keep reading for the answer.
One more thing…
As the United States begins its journey in the tournament, it’s worth looking back on the fastest start the men’s team has ever made at a World Cup. It happened in 2014, via former Revolution forward Clint Dempsey, who scored after just 30 seconds.
Trivia answer: Roberto Baggio
Hayden Bird
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
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