Teacher Dieu Minh and her Vietnamese friends went to the San Francisco Bay Area stadium to watch the World Cup - Photo: Provided by the interviewee.
This includes the match of the host nation, the USA, which took place early in the morning of July 2nd (Vietnam time).
America is vast, so not every place is adorned with flags, banners, or World Cup slogans. It's only at Fan Fests or stadiums that you can truly feel the festive atmosphere, with fans from all over the world filling the space with music , cheers, and excitement. Even though soccer isn't the most popular sport in America, the World Cup, the biggest sporting event on the planet, still garners such enthusiastic support from Americans.
"We are very proud that our city of San Jose is receiving so much attention from the world. Everyone who comes here feels welcome," said Matt Mahan, Mayor of San Jose, in an interview with reporters as the politician, dressed in a casual T-shirt, arrived at the Fan Zone in San Pedro Square to watch the World Cup live, just like any other fan.
Santa Clara enjoys a Mediterranean-like climate in the summer: sunny, dry, and hot (26 to 30 degrees Celsius during the day). Watching the 2026 World Cup here, fans not only get to see the game but also experience the "heart of Silicon Valley." This is where Apple, Google, NVIDIA, Intel, Cisco, and thousands of other tech startups have their headquarters and research centers. During the World Cup season, Santa Clara residents change their famous proud saying, "Everyone here is doing a startup, has done a startup, or is preparing to do a startup," to "Everyone here is watching football, has watched football, or is preparing to watch the next football game."
Ms. Tran Thi Dieu Minh, a primary school teacher in Cho Quan ward (Ho Chi Minh City), was on a summer vacation in the US to visit relatives and was delighted to watch the World Cup at the San Francisco Bay Area stadium. "This is the first time in my life I've ever watched a football match live, and it's the World Cup too, so it was incredibly exciting and wonderful. The stadium was magnificent and colorful, and the atmosphere created by the cheering fans was fantastic. The World Cup is clearly an event for everyone, for all families and all walks of life, to enjoy and create unforgettable memories," Ms. Dieu Minh told Tuoi Tre newspaper.
Speaking to us, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Cuong, a Vietnamese spectator who attended the 2024 Paris Olympics and Grand Slam tennis tournaments, said that he came to the US at the beginning of the tournament. He watched four matches on the West Coast of the US and in Vancouver (Canada), and the final match was Ivory Coast - Curacao in Philadelphia on June 26th.
"The World Cup stadiums are overwhelming in their grandeur and modernity. The giant LED screens in many stadiums display stunning images, making it very convenient for spectators to watch. I just feel that public transportation to the stadiums isn't as readily available as in Europe. There also seems to be fewer volunteers compared to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, which I had the chance to attend," Mr. Cuong commented.
Roughly speaking, after spending over half a month traveling through 7 cities in North America to watch 5 matches, Mr. Cuong shelled out nearly 200 million VND in total for food, accommodation, travel, tickets, etc. But this technology engineer from Ho Chi Minh City happily said: "It was well worth the money! The atmosphere of the 2026 World Cup was so vibrant and provided a memorable experience for fans worldwide."
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/xem-world-cup-o-trai-tim-silicon-valley-100260626100207038.htm
