A Personal World Cup Review: In Search of an XXL Tournament
This article is a personal account by journalist Alina Schwermer, who traveled over 4,000 kilometers by bus from southern Mexico to Kansas City, USA, to cover the 2026 FIFA World Cup. She describes the intense soccer enthusiasm in Mexico, particularly in Guadalajara after Mexico's early knockout stage win against South Korea, contrasting it with the more subdued atmosphere in US host cities. The road trip allowed her to engage with locals, who expressed love for soccer but frustration with FIFA's high ticket prices and the tournament's elitism. She highlights issues like gentrification, environmental destruction, and the distraction from domestic problems in Mexico. The author notes that her decelerated, climate-friendly approach was more relaxing than the exhausting flying schedules of other journalists, and she felt the heart of the World Cup beat in Mexico, not the USA.
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