Patriotic pride mixes with Fifa fever in Texas on July 4th weekend

Brothers Ryan and Keagan Wood came to Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium) on Friday decked out in Australian gear for the match against Egypt. 

Both wore green and yellow jerseys with Australian flags tied like capes around their shoulders. Keagan sported a hat and sunglasses with the Australian flag, while Ryan wore a novelty gold chain with the Australian flag around his neck. 

The only sign the brothers weren’t from Down Under was a navy U.S.A. baseball cap perched patriotically on Ryan’s head. 

“I’m never going to go full another country, but I really wanted to represent both the U.S. and Australia today,” Ryan, from Arlington, said. 

The brothers are two of the thousands of soccer fans caught up in the World Cup excitement that has taken over Dallas this summer. This weekend, soccer fans are looking forward to another celebration — the United States’250th anniversary of independence. 

Fans at Dallas Stadium for Friday’s match were quick to get into the Fourth of July spirit. People in  U.S. jerseys and red, white and blue decorations dotted the crowds of Australian and Egyptian fans in Arlington.

Dan Buzai, who travelled from Australia for Friday’s match, said he’s excited to witness America’s patriotism first-hand as he waited for the game to begin. 

“You guys are going to have fun this weekend,” he said. “We’re happy to enjoy it and we’ll be celebrating our win going into your big celebration, too — it’s going to be great.”

The anniversary comes at a fraught time for the United States — heightened political divisions, the ongoing war in Iran and rising nationalism have all contributed to increasingly negative perceptions of the country abroad. 

A recent poll by the Pew Research Center found foreigners’ favorable views of the U.S. have declined over the past year, with a majority of individuals polled across 36 countries saying they viewed the country “unfavorably.”

But Buzai said his experience in the U.S. has largely been positive, and that he’s particularly enjoyed his time in Texas.

“The welcome here in Dallas has been amazing,” he said. “All the volunteers and that are so nice.”

He said the city’s barbecue and southwestern culture have made a lasting impression. 

“And we’ve been to Buc-cee’s,” he said. “It’s unreal.”

Emmanuel Jamal, who is visiting from Egypt with his friend Hany Fahny, said they’ve loved their time in the U.S. during the Independence Day festivities. 

“We’re going to enjoy the Fourth of July,” Jamal said. Fahny said they plan to celebrate the national holiday with their children after the game. 

“We’ll see the fireworks, of course,” Fahny said. “It’ll be a big party.”

Deena Elabhar, an Egypt fan from Houston, is visiting her friends in Dallas to watch the match. She said it’s made her “more patriotic” to see people who have come into the U.S. for the tournament. 

“It’s so exciting seeing people come in from out of town, out of the country,” she said. “Seeing someone enjoy their time where we’re living, experiencing things we see on a daily basis that are normal to us, but to them it’s something out of the ordinary — it’s just really cool to see.”

Elabhar added that seeing World Cup visitors here for the 250th anniversary makes her feel proud of both her American and Egyptian roots. 

“Even though we’re diaspora here, we’re still super excited and prideful in our American culture and traditional culture,” she said.