May 13, 2026
By Alessandra Ricra
Staff Writer
This article is part of a three-part in-depth reporting series about the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Whether cheering on a favorite team or jeering at a rival, viewers worldwide are familiar with the FIFA World Cup’s ability to both bring nations together and spark fierce division.
Sophomore Ridhi Gowda, who watched the 2022 World Cup and is a two-year girls varsity soccer player, said the premier international soccer tournament brings people together.
“[It is] one game that we all like to watch and enjoy,” Gowda said. “[Seeing] people from different countries coming together to support their country and [experience] the thrill of the game is so fun.”
Gowda said the World Cup is special because even non-soccer fans care about the event.
“If I weren’t watching it, I would get [the fear of missing out] because of how much everyone talks about it,” Gowda said.
“It’s not just what takes place during the game, but also off the field…. You can see your culture really flourish.”
However, Gowda said matches can get too competitive.
“You can say that for every sport. Rivalries can go too far,” Gowda said. “People can get intense and live or die for their team.”
History teacher Mr. Spence, who studied abroad in Hamburg, Germany, in 2006 when the country hosted the World Cup, said he observed firsthand how the tournament can foster friendships.
“I remember meeting people from all these different countries… and rooting for different teams that I had no kind of affiliation with whatsoever, just because I met someone from that country,” Spence said.
Despite moments of unity, Spence said the tournament has also reflected global political tensions.
FACT BOX BY CHLOE LIN Sources: Diamond Designs, EL PAÍS, FIFA, FORBES, The Guardian, Olympics.com, Roadtrips.com and Topend Sports.
“In 1998, when the United States played against Iran, that was really the first time that I became aware of… a conflict between the United States and Iran,” Spence said.
That match is frequently regarded as “the most politically charged match in World Cup history,” according to CNN, due to hostility following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, when the U.S.-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was overthrown, and the 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis, when 52 Americans were held for 444 days in the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
Spence said politics continue to be relevant to the World Cup.
“It’s going to be very interesting that this World Cup is in the United States because [FIFA] is pandering so much to [President Donald] Trump,” Spence said.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has faced criticism for his friendly relationship with Trump, creating a special FIFA Peace Prize for him and yielding to his 2025 threats to relocate matches scheduled to be played in Democratic-leaning cities like Boston and Seattle.
Sophomore Kareem Elsayed, a first-year varsity soccer player who plans to watch the World Cup this summer, said he hopes political tensions will not overshadow the excitement of the matches.
“Since [the United States is] hosting the World Cup, there’s a lot of talk about [politics], but it’s still cool to see the sport being able to persevere through that,” Elsayed said.
He said the World Cup can promote acceptance and diversity by allowing people from different backgrounds to showcase their cultures.
“Different fanbases usually have different chants and celebrations,” Elsayed said. “It’s not just what takes place during the game, but also off the field…. You can see your culture really flourish.”
Elsayed said that even though the tournament has not yet begun, he has already noticed its positive impact on LHS students.
“You see people around the school wearing jerseys and talking about the game,” Elsayed said. “That’s just another form of unity that it brings.”
