Did you know soccer is the most popular sporting game in the world, is played by 250 million people in over 200 countries, and has an estimated 4 billion fans globally? And did you know National Soccer Day is celebrated every year on July 28?
The world came together in North America for the FIFA World Cup 2026™. The tournament kicked -off on June 11 and took place across three countries and 16 vibrant Host Cities with a newly expanded pool of 48 teams. The tournament was the largest and most inclusive FIFA World Cup™ in history. The 2026 edition welcomed over 6.5 million fans to stadiums across Canada, Mexico and the United States including right here in Philadelphia.
SEPTA moved over 155,000 fans to/from six FIFA World Cup matches in Philadelphia. And thousands more took SEPTA to the FIFA Fan Festival™ at Lemon Hill in East Fairmount Park. Ridership on the B was up on average 82% on FIFA World Cup match days. SEPTA moved an average of 25,671 passengers out of NRG Station after each FIFA World Cup match which is 61% greater than the 2025 Eagles season average of 16,000 fans.
We also learned so much along the way.
Fans from Côte d’Ivoire are big on the “three-way handshake” which starts with a regular handshake, slides into a thumbs-up grip, and goes back to a regular handshake.
Fans from Ecuador prefer to be addressed as Señor or Señora and like to chat about Enner Valencia who is the nation’s all-time top scorer or the “new generation” of soccer players from the coastal academies.
Fans from Brazil prefer enthusiastic handshakes with good eye contact and the women often exchange kisses on cheeks (starting with the left). They love to chat about “who will be the next Neymar?” (Brazil’s all-time top scorer.) An endless debate Brazilians love to have.
We said hello to Haitian fans with a respectful “Bonjour” (morning) and “Bonswa” (evening). And talked about Joe Gaetjens who is the Haitian-born player who scored the winning goal for the USA in the 1950 World Cup. A great piece of trivia that connects Haiti, the US, and the World Cup.
We now know that French fans prefer air kisses or a brief, light handshake and that a “bone-crushing” American handshake is seen as aggressive. They love to chat about Kylian Mbappé and think the 2026 squad is better than the 2018 team.
Firm handshakes are standard for Iraqi men. Women typically avoid physical touch or affection. And now we know Iraq’s 2007 Asian Cup victory is one of the greatest “unifying moments” in modern sporting history.
We had fun asking Curaçao fans about their team’s journey to the finals and where they were when the team qualified. And learned how to say “Good Morning” (Bon Dia) and “How are you?” (Kon ta bai?)” in Papiamentu.
We greeted Croatian fans with firm handshakes with direct eye contact and used “Gospodin” (Mr.) or “Gospođa” (Ms.) for an added professional touch. We also learned Luka Modrić is a national treasure.
Handshakes are essential when meeting fans from Ghana but only use the right hand. The left hand is traditionally used for personal hygiene not greetings. A fact we never forget.
Fans from Paraguay like a smile and a firm but not overly strong handshake. Warmth and friendliness are generally appreciated. And they love to be asked about Paraguay’s shocking victory over Germany. ICYMI the Paraguayan underdogs defeated the German four-time world champions in what some are calling the greatest upset in World Cup history.
We’re grateful fans opted to take public transportation and we’re proud that SEPTA helped connect tens of thousands of fans from around the world to the sport and the teams that they love during an unforgettable 39 days.
Playing a part in truly uniting the city and globe through soccer!