The 2026 FIFA World Cup was designed to showcase American stadiums, infrastructure, and logistical prowess. What it has actually showcased, at least on social media, is the sheer strangeness of American food culture to visitors encountering it for the first time.
The Transportation Security Administration has issued a warning to the wave of international soccer fans who have discovered ranch dressing during the tournament: Pack it in your checked bag, or leave it behind. As international fans have descended on the United States for the World Cup, ranch dressing has emerged as one of the more viral stars of the event.
The Ranch Incident Counter
The agency posted on social media: "If you're visiting for a very large sporting event & you happen to discover RANCH while you're here… pls pack it in your CHECKED BAG on the way home." Another post joked: "Yeah soooo your carry-on wasn't actually made for *checks notes* 4 bottles of ranch & a taser." The following day, the agency updated followers: "Days since the last airport ranch incident: 0."
The reaction traces back to a Swedish fan who wrote: "Why did no one tell me ranch sauce is like crack? EUROPE, WE NEED RANCH ASAP." In a follow-up post, she announced that her trip had converted from a World Cup itinerary to a mission to find the best ranch in America. Her post has been viewed more than 9.5 million times.
The ranch reaction is so consistent across nationalities and social media platforms that it qualifies as a cultural phenomenon in its own right. European visitors to the U.S. have been encountering ranch for decades, but the 2026 World Cup brought in enough first-time visitors to enough American cities simultaneously that the social media documentation reached critical mass.
The Buc-ee's Pilgrimage
Ranch is only part of the story. As the tournament brings hundreds of thousands of international fans to North Texas, Buc-ee's convenience stores are emerging as one of the top off-field attractions. European and other global fans have gone viral on social media with astonished reactions to the enormous gas stations, which feature dozens of fuel pumps, spotless restrooms, fresh Texas barbecue, Beaver Nuggets snacks, jerky, and branded merchandise.
For native Texans, Buc-ee's might not seem like a sight worthy of hopping on a bus to visit, but for visitors from around the world, it can be seen as a microcosm of the U.S. itself. The largest of the chain has 120 gas pumps. Fort Worth's Trinity Metro launched special Cowtown Visitor Shuttles on non-match days to help fans reach the Buc-ee's near Texas Motor Speedway.
A Scottish visitor documenting his U.S. trip on X wrote that "the European mind cannot comprehend how intoxicatingly good these things are," referring to Beaver Nuggets, and clarified that he had himself been the European mind in question.
Scotland Drinks Boston Dry
The Scottish contingent has made an outsize impression on the tournament. Scotland's supporters have traveled well, having waited nearly three decades to see their national team on this stage again. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced Thursday that Boston will officially become sister cities with Glasgow.
The parent company of Sam Adams said its Boston Taproom ran out of the brand's flagship Boston Lager over the weekend because Scotland soccer fans drank four times what the company normally stocks during a typical four-day holiday stretch like the Fourth of July, adding that it had to schedule an emergency delivery of beer Saturday morning. One bar owner told The Boston Globe that sales "tripled St. Patrick's Day."
According to Dave O'Donnell, vice president of Meet Boston, the Scottish fans have brought more visitors to Boston for a single event than any country ever has. "We knew that we had struck gold when we learned back in December that the Tartan Army would be coming here, but I don't think that anyone could've predicted the actual impact," O'Donnell said.
The Real Tourism Story
Tourism Economics projects that the global soccer tournament will draw 1.2 million international visitors, including spectators and their non-ticketed travel companions, national team representatives, and match officials. In 2025, the U.S. saw a 6.3% decline in international visitors. The firm forecasts 3.7% growth in international visits this year, partly driven by the World Cup.
As Taco Bell's global chief brand officer told ABC News, for many World Cup visitors, experiencing certain foods in the U.S. is the culmination of years of seeing them in pop culture. "Long before they arrive in the U.S., they've seen the brand show up across movies, social media and pop culture, making that first order part of the experience they've been looking forward to."
As one Swedish visitor put it: "People are kind of amused seeing me experience America and thinking so big of little things for them, because if you live here, you might just be used to it."
The tournament runs through July 19. If the TSA's ranch incident counter is any indication, airport security will remain busy. Under TSA rules, liquids, gels and sauces carried through airport security checkpoints must be in containers of 3.4 ounces or less and fit inside a quart-sized bag. Larger containers are allowed in checked luggage.
