Our World Cup of Joy
Who knew that England didn’t have fireflies? Or that fireworks weren’t a frequent event in Scotland?
Sure, there’s been plenty of soccer/football action since the World Cup came to the United States (the final match is today). But for millions of viewers worldwide, it’s the off-field experiences that hit home, as visitors joyfully discovered everyday American life—from the wonder of yellow school buses to the magic of free refills.
Then there were more meaningful moments as neighbors nationwide opened their doors and their hearts, from the University of Kansas marching band welcoming Algeria with their national anthem, reality show winner Drew Haas inviting visitors over for some brisket in Austin, Texas, and Boston basically becoming Scotland for a week.
We all watched the videos and shared them—millions of Americans having the best time watching others have the best time.
Sociologists call the feeling “collective effervescence,” the emotional energy created when people gather around a shared experience, feeling connected to something larger than ourselves. This summer's World Cup offered a vivid demonstration of the phenomenon, as packed stadiums, neighborhood watch parties, sports bars, and living rooms became places where people from different countries found common ground.
Neal Shah, founder and CEO of CareYaya, a national caregiving platform that connects college students with older adults, has become fascinated by those moments of connection, whether through sports or live music, and tries to include them in his work as a caregiver.
Inspired by seeing so many people celebrate together, he posted about “collective effervescence” and how a shared moment of togetherness can have a larger impact. For example, he pointed to recent studies showing how eating one meal together, rather than alone, increases happiness.
“I think the pandemic had a major impact on togetherness,” he said, adding that, even in his social group, many people stopped having people over to their house or going out to sporting events after the shutdown. The past six weeks encouraged people to leave their homes and connect, whether decorating the Rocky statue in Philadelphia or tossing each other in the air.
Shah plans on celebrating the final game by watching it with a group of friends, even though he’s not really rooting for anyone in particular. He said he’s sure many others will do the same. "I think the demand is really there, and people want to be together and have shared experiences with others," Shah said.
Sometimes, those shared experiences appear in thin air.
Andrew Monderson had never seen a soccer game. The 35-year-old production assistant in New York City won two tickets to the Paraguay and Turkey game in California through a Verizon lottery. None of his friends wanted to join, but he decided to jump on a plane at the last minute. No hotel. No plans. One extra ticket.
On the connecting flight from Phoenix, the middle seat was taken by Filipe Santos, head pastor of Echo.Church in San Jose and a native of Brazil who said “soccer is a huge deal to me, I love, love soccer.” The two struck up a conversation, and before the plane landed, Monderson had invited Santos to use the second ticket, and Santos had accepted.
"I know he's a stranger, but I was like, ‘Hey man, I'll totally go with you, you're spontaneous, I'm gonna be spontaneous. Let's do it,’” said Santos, who posted a picture of the two of them on social media. “He's like, all right, let's do it.”
Their conversation became the beginning of an unexpected friendship. The two shared dinner after the match, Santos' wife invited Monderson to stay the night at their home. The next morning, they walked the dog together, ate breakfast with Santos' family and stayed in touch after Monderson flew back to New York.
They have been texting and hoping to go to the final game together. Monderson jokingly said that he’s invaded Santos’ life a bit too much to simply walk away.
“Almost feels as if I’m a few visits away from being an extended family member,” he said.
Monderson said the two had a great time chatting and had similar music tastes in common, and didn’t find out that Santos was a pastor until they were walking the dog before he headed back to the airport.
As a New Yorker, he says people are often intimidated by Americans, but most people are happy to help, whether with directions or suggestions for dinner—or an extra ticket to a World Cup game.
“My takeaway was, it doesn't matter what country you're from, it all matters about being unison and enjoying the love of the game, whether you know the game or not,” he said. “I cheered for both sides.”
Please note that we may receive affiliate commissions from the sales of linked products.
