The 4 things I’ll miss the most from the World Cup as an NFL fan
The Dallas Cowboys’ home, AT&T Stadium, is moving on from the World Cup. So are we. But first, a few thoughts on what I’ll miss from a summer of watching soccer.
All in all, the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium hosted nine World Cup games under the temporary name of “Dallas Stadium.” That was more than any other venue in the tournament.
According to the Dallas Morning News, the stadium totaled 631,843 attendees throughout the nine matches, with three of them being sold-out matches. The number could have been much higher had FIFA decided to use the venue’s standing room only modality used in Cowboys games.
Now, AT&T Stadium is gearing up for football season again.
The stadium’s social media account on X even posted a video captioned “it’s good to be back.” In it, clips are shown of staff members unveiling AT&T branding, which had to be hidden throughout the World Cup.
But before we move on, I thought it would be worthwhile listing three things I’ll miss from the World Cup as we move on to football season.
Fans’ ongoing chants
I was fortunate enough to make one World Cup game this tournament and let me tell you something: FĂștbol fans sure know how to get a stadium buzzing. It’s just different from other sports.
Sure, we NFL fans know how to stand up and yell “Defense!” when a big third down comes up. But soccer fans will sustain a chant for minutes at a time and throughout an entire game.
Whether it’s Mexico fans chanting “Cielito Lindo” at Estadio Azteca (which has some NFL history) or the Spain-originated “OlĂ©, OlĂ©, OlĂ©,” there’s nothing like it. And even if you’re watching on TV, these chants become an important part of the experience of tuning into a match.
Shots at goal
You know that exhilarating moment right between watching a quarterback drop back and take a shot downfield and waiting for the camera to show if there’s a wide open receiver waiting for the ball? I think it’s the only comparable moment to what we get in soccer when a shot at goal happens. And it’s not even close.
Some find soccer boring because of its pace and the many passes going backwards, but when the ball is kicked at goal, that thrilling feeling of “is it going in?” is unmatched. I’m a sucker for football, but I have to give credit where credit is due. I don’t think there’s something quite like that. There are third downs and red zone opportunities, but that split second of adrenaline hits different in soccer.
The perfectly timed runs
I often argue with friends and colleagues about the game with the most strategy. With 22 moving pieces and an average six seconds per play, I think the correct answer is football. I stand by that.
However, a closer look into soccer reveals so much strategy. One thing in particular stands out: how in tune players have to be to time passes to create space, avoid offsides, and be in the exact spot to score a goal or make the perfect play. Pay attention to it the next time you watch a match and I promise your viewing experience will be a lot better.
Penalties
This will be controversial for those who do like fĂștbol, but I love me some penalties. After 120 minutes of change in play, tied games heading into a series of penalties to decide the outcome is great.
It’s the ultimate one-on-one duel (with the goalkeeper at an obvious disadvantage), but it’s quite the pressure test. Some football managers will let players volunteer to kick a penalty to make sure their mind is in the right spot. Others won’t ask, and players simply have to be ready.
And when a keeper blocks a goal? Few things can beat that in all of sports.
Well, the world of fĂștbol won’t stop but with the World Cup in the rearview mirror, we turn our attention to football. I’ll miss the former more than I expected, to be honest.