NatNews

With an estimated 3.5 billion fans globally, soccer is the most popular sport in the world, even if some people, particularly those in America, are only reminded of that every so often.

However, there are certainly individuals who follow soccer on a regular basis, and this year’s men’s FIFA World Cup has created excitement and merriment, especially with 11 host sites being in the United States.

Dallas-area resident and avid soccer fan Beth Salazar said she has attended several watch parties for matches involving the U.S. and England, and she and her husband were also able to attend the England vs. Croatia match at Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium in Arlington) on June 17.

“All I can say is wow,” she said. “This was truly a bucket-list item checked for me. Everything (except for the price of the tickets) was spectacular. The staff and security did a great job. Entry was seamless. The fans were intermingled together (England fans and Croatia fans mostly sitting together), and everyone was being respectful to each other. It was absolutely brilliant.”

Salazar said after the match, they walked down to The Londoner in Arlington and continued the celebration, watching Ghana vs. Panama with all of the England supporters.

“There was a line to get in, as they had reached capacity,” she said. “Even waiting in line was a party. We were singing and laughing with everyone. The songs continued all night. The staff was great dealing with the crowds. It was fantastic!”

Dallas resident Anil Devegowda has been heavily involved in a variety of men’s World Cup activities, including visiting the World Cup trophy display and volunteering at the FIFA Fan Fest at Fair Park, attending several World Cup watch parties organized by different groups around the city, and attending two World Cup matches (Japan vs. Netherlands and Argentina vs. Austria).

“It was an incredible experience watching World Cup matches in person for the first time,” he said. “Having the tournament take place in the city where I live made it even more special. The atmosphere was electric, and it was amazing to see fans from different countries bring their passion, traditions, and cultures with them.”

And there are certain traditions Devegowda witnessed that he said he definitely won’t forget. 

“One of the highlights was seeing the Dutch supporters arrive with the famous Oranje Bus—they brought a whole different level of celebration and energy to the match,” he said. “The sea of orange, nonstop singing, and festive atmosphere turned the game into much more than just a sporting event. It felt like a global celebration where everyone, regardless of nationality, was part of the experience.”

Dallas-area resident Josh Odegard, who has been to multiple watch parties since the men’s FIFA World Cup kicked off and enjoys being part of large crowds watching together, was also present for the Oranje Fanwalk that took place in Arlington.

“There were thousands of people all dressed in orange who gathered around the famous double-decker orange fan bus and followed it to the stadium where the team was playing,” he said. “It was awesome just being in the middle of a crowd that big, full of people who love soccer—or just love being in crowds. After the walk, we watched the game from Texas Live! next to the stadium, where it got almost as crowded and almost as loud as an actual game. But it wasn’t just Dutch or Japanese fans—it was all kinds of soccer fans from all over the world.”

And that united spirit and desire to enjoy watching soccer together is what Odegard said he appreciates most about the World Cup, besides the actual soccer itself.

“I love watching people from competing countries give each other a hard time but while having a beer together,” he said. “Soccer brings the entire world together in a way that nothing else ever has. No one cares what your home country is doing to make the world better or worse. They just care what your team’s players are doing to put the ball in the back of the net. They’ll cheer with you when you win, and they’ll cry with you when you lose—that is, unless it was against their own team.”

Salazar, who regularly watches soccer with her husband and friends, said she truly enjoys seeing all of the traveling fans in and around the area she lives and witnessing and experiencing a feeling of camaraderie with those fans.

“The England fans bring their humor and their songs,” she said. “They start singing way before kickoff. At the match I was at, the concourse was filled with England supporters singing until kickoff. Then once in their seats, we sang most of the match. Songs continued well into the night at the local pub.”

Salazar added how much she appreciates other traditions from different nations, including those of Japanese fans, who are famous for cleaning the stadiums after the matches they attend. Win or lose, Japanese fans stay behind and pick up trash and even sort the recycling, ensuring that they leave the area spotless, as a sign of respect for the host city, stadium, and other individuals. She also acknowledged a Scottish tradition she has enjoyed seeing from afar.

“Watching the Tartan Army from Scotland in Boston has been so much fun,” she said. “Learning about the tradition of the traffic cones on the Duke of Wellington statue in Glasgow and the fact that they brought that tradition to Boston—and Boston embraced it—is truly lovely.”

Like Odegard and Salazar, Devegowda also noted how refreshing it has been to see people from all over the world come together and share their cultures.

“With the World Cup being local, it gave our community a chance to experience those cultures firsthand without having to travel abroad,” he said. “It creates a unique sense of connection and celebration.”

That connection has been evident in the fan gatherings, watching parties, celebrations, and other festivities. Salazar said it has been a joy for her to see the men’s World Cup bringing other cultures to the area, sharing local places and traditions with them, and learning about their cultures directly from them.  

“The simple fact that my social media is filled with people from other countries experiencing our country for the first time has been an absolute delight,” she said. “They’ve been so positive about our country in a time when our country is so divided. I’m not seeing all of the negative political garbage, and instead, my social media feed is filled with fun, joyful, and positive things. What a breath of fresh air.”

And it’s truly only the beginning. The men’s FIFA World Cup will conclude on July 19 with the final match at New York/New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey). As Devegowda acknowledged, this is indeed a time for people to come together and feel more globally united.

“Fans travel from around the world to support their teams, and in the process, they share their traditions, food, and cultures with others,” he said. “At the same time, local communities have the opportunity to welcome visitors and showcase their own cultures and hospitality. It creates a sense of unity and reminds us that, despite our differences, we can all come together around a common passion for soccer.”

While there are a variety of myths about sloths and their inactivity, wild sloths actually only sleep for 8 to 10 hours each day.

With 11 World Cup host sites—Dallas (sentiments to Arlington locals who are upset with the lack of recognition), Atlanta, Boston (Foxborough), Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles (Inglewood), Miami, New York/New Jersey (but actually in East Rutherford, New Jersey), Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area (Santa Clara), and Seattle—across the U.S., the nation has seen fans throughout the world visiting to support their countries and contribute to record-setting attendance numbers.

America has also seen a perhaps unexpected fascination with several U.S. staples, including ranch dressing. Even TSA had to issue a statement reminding travelers of liquid requirements for carry-on bags.

And while Americans might not be trying to take it in bulk to various destinations, many individuals residing in the U.S. certainly consume it on a regular basis and appreciate the extra flavor it brings to their lives.

“I love the versatility of ranch,” Dallas-area resident Brandy Washington said. “You can use ranch as a condiment, a marinade, or a seasoning.”

In spite of her appreciation of its different uses, Washington said, oddly enough, she eats it most as an actual salad dressing. 

“I use the avocado ranch, and it just hits on a Tex-Mex salad,” she said.

Dallas-area resident and NatNews official fashion correspondent Megan England said though she likes ranch dressing, she does not tend to use it as much as she did when she was growing up.

“I feel like ranch is very nostalgic,” she said. “It’s one of the first condiments we are exposed to that’s a ‘choice.’ It’s our first experience of an extra flavor or seasoning.”

However, despite her fondness of ranch, England said it’s not something she has on hand or consumes on a regular basis.

“At this point in my life, ranch is dedicated to any emotional support cheese fries,” she said. “For my youth, that was my go-to. Because I watch my calories more now, I don’t tend to order it. Again, as my palate expanded, I began to understand how dressings can be used to enhance the flavors on specific salads.”

Because ranch can certainly have different tastes or consistencies when from different brands and establishments, England believes that it’s important to specify such information, as some ranch options are not appealing to her. Thus, she has a necessary ranch hierarchy.

“My ranch rankings are as follows: (1) school cafeteria ranch, specific to era and consumer age (see also buffet ranch that you use the ladle to serve); (2) Chili’s ranch; and (3) sometimes Hidden Valley ranch,” she said.

As with most things in life, though, ranch isn’t for everyone. Dallas-area resident Theo Hone, who grew up in Zimbabwe, is not a fan of ranch, primarily as a result of haunting memories of the dressing/condiment while in college during his early days in America.

“When I first moved here, I worked for food services on campus, and serving large bowls of ranch to every table was part of the setup for the events we would be working,” he said. “At the end of every event, part of the cleanup was inevitably disposing of large bowls of room temperature barely touched ranch into the trash. The visuals and smells were enough that I can’t even bring myself to try it.”

Hone said he doesn’t ever even use ranch as a salad dressing, as he prefers lighter vinaigrettes. He added that he doesn’t need many dipping options, but when he does, he chooses non-ranch condiments.

“I’m not a huge sauce person but usually use ketchup for fries and sometimes honey mustard or BBQ sauce for chicken,” he said.

Ranch was originally created in the 1950s by Steve and Gayle Henson, who owned a ranch in Santa Barbara, California, that they named Hidden Valley Ranch. Though ranch eventually spread throughout the nation and became popular in packet form (with dry ingredients in each packet) and as pre-made dressing in bottles, it’s not as well-known in other areas of the world.

England has lived abroad twice and noted that ranch is not common in those areas, mainly because condiments, in general, are not frequently used.

“I would argue that the majority of the world does not do condiments—specifically ones that are dairy-based—like we do (e.g., we use tartar sauce on our fish, but most other places use malt vinegar),” she said. “Refrigerators aren’t big, and shopping is done daily. They just don’t fit into their daily lifestyles.”

Because of its lack of availability elsewhere, it might not be surprising to some local individuals that visitors have become avid fans of ranch. After all, as Washington acknowledged, it’s quite easy to obtain throughout America, often as a complimentary addition at various dining establishments.

“It’s delicious, and it’s everywhere—from Buffalo Wild Wings to Olive Garden and everything in between,” she said.

And as Hone added, the fresh exposure to ranch creates an interest and excitement that make it even more appealing to some people who aren’t regularly accustomed to having it as an option.

“Even if it’s slightly different, most people are familiar with ketchup, mayo, mustard, etc., but there’s really nothing like ranch in the rest of the world,” he said. “That novelty and the fact that Americans seemingly have it on everything—salad, pizza, fries, chicken, sandwiches—makes it a fascinating thing to try.”

WEEKLY PHOTO OP

NatNews staff and friends would like to remind you always to check your receipts

Monday, June 29: Free Cult Classic Movie Monday — Reservoir Dogs at Sundown at Granada
Tuesday, June 30: Hilary Duff at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory; FIFA World Cup Round of 32 at Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium); Free Rooftop Movie — You, Me & Tuscany at Sundown at Granada
Wednesday, July 1: Frisco RoughRiders vs. Midland Rockhounds at Riders Field; America 250 Celebration at Dallas Marriott Downtown
Thursday, July 2: Rangers vs. Tigers at Globe Life Field; Shakespeare in the Park at Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre
Friday, July 3: FIFA World Cup Round of 32 at Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium); Madonna Tribute — PriMadonna at Granada Theater; Addison Kaboom Town! at Addison Circle Park
Saturday, July 4: WRRC Saturday run from Taco Joint; Fourth of July celebrations throughout Dallas; Turnpike Troubadours at The Pavilion at Fair Park; Red, White, & Brews at Legacy Hall
Sunday, July 5: DMA Free First Sundays — Access for All at the Dallas Museum of Art; Kleon the Comedian at Dallas Comedy Club