About 250 years ago, America cast a spell on Europe and the rest of the world. That magic compelled 15-18 million people to uproot themselves and escape war, poverty, crop failures, and political instability to start all over again in the new nation between 1800 and 1900.
More than 15 million immigrants arrived in the first 15 years of the 20th century, mostly from Eastern Europe and Russia.
Funny how America's critics gloss over that astonishing fact. Whenever they bother to mention it, they point to the industrial revolution, which created an insatiable demand for labor, as capitalism "enslaved" these unsuspecting workers.
Still, people kept coming. As bad as the left believes America is, people of all races, all religions, and from every nation ignored the portrayal of the United States as a racist, sexist country of white supremacists and came anyway.
This is something America's most vicious critics can't get around. The people of the world voted with their feet, and while many of us may not like it, the promise America holds for a better life is irresistible.
For the next month, more than 1.7 million foreigners will come to America to watch a soccer tournament. It hardly matters why they're coming. They come with their preconceived notions about the U.S being a horrible place. Their own governments tell them so. American leftists amplify that message.
But once these soccer fans get here, an amazing transformation happens to many of them.
They fall in love with the U.S.
Perhaps they have relatives who left the old country to come here and have heard about America all their lives. Whatever their preconceptions about the U.S., nothing prepared them for how completely different it is from what they've been told or what they imagined.
PJ Media editor Chris Queen wrote about this phenomenon last week, chronicling a German tourist's travels through the South. Many other visitors in the U.S. for soccer find themselves delighted with what they've found.
Bright red fire trucks. Walmart’s cathedral of abundance. The miracle of free refills.
These are just a few of the American wonders World Cup tourists are encountering during their travels through the heartland — and they can’t seem to get enough of them.
Visitors from all over the world are documenting their journeys across the United States on social media, much to the delight of every American who doesn’t think patriotism is a dirty word.
“A place like this could ONLY exist in America and I LOVE it,” posted Sean from Scotland as he toured a Texas Buc-ees in abject astonishment.
“The vibes are insane!” exclaimed Freddy from Germany while road-tripping through Louisiana to New Orleans.
Elsa from Sweden is demanding of X, “Why did no one tell me ranch sauce is like crack?”
It seems that Gen X and Y had no idea of the "real" America.
Just a British girl in America enjoying the culture
— Leah Ray (@LeahRay44) June 12, 2026
This was the best chicken I’ve ever had. Don’t even get me started on the sauce, what on earth do they put in it to make it taste so good. pic.twitter.com/u5c4nn3uhg
"One thing I love about the European World Cup tourists right now is that they’re not just being dropped off in the middle of Los Angeles or New York City or some overhyped metropolitan hub that most Americans like myself don’t even like," X user @realmikolson observed.
"They’re being dropped right in the middle of the heart of middle America."
A wise man once said, if you want to hate America, watch the news. If you want to love America, drive across it.
— Mikale Olson (@realmikolson) June 12, 2026
These European World Cup tourists are experiencing the REAL America for the first time: not New York City or LA, but middle America and all its hospitality. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/B3rVBM63Eh
Fox News:
Olson said international tourists driving nine hours across Texas and experiencing Auburn University fraternity houses are witnessing "overwhelming American kindness."
"A lot of the locals in these areas have no idea who these people are or why they’re even there," he said, adding that there’s been very little World Cup news or marketing, particularly in small towns.
Nevertheless, he’s heard of instances of restaurant owners driving World Cup fans to games because they can’t find an Uber. A deli owner gave British tourists free lunch "just because they came all this way," he said.
Some Alabama firefighters reportedly gave foreign visitors a tour of their fire department and free merchandise.
Of course, there are many Americans who wish the foreigners would just go home and leave us alone. But there are enough Americans still imbued with small-town values and principles that make coming to America an incredibly rich and rewarding experience.
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Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats try desperately to stop it.
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