When BBC Sport reporters first arrived in the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the mood was muted. Now, weeks into the tournament, their verdict is unanimous: football fever has arrived — and it is spreading fast.

A slow start overshadowed by the Knicks

Several reporters noted that the World Cup struggled to cut through in its opening days. In New York, the New York Knicks' run to their first NBA title in 53 years dominated conversation. John Bennett of BBC World Service landed in the city on the same day as Game 3 of the NBA Finals and found World Cup excitement buried beneath basketball mania.

Sam Harris of BBC Sport described a similar feeling, noting that some host cities did not feel fully connected to the tournament in those early days. Gary Rose, reporting from Los Angeles, observed only a handful of banners and billboards — functional promotion rather than genuine buzz.

Liz Conway of BBC Sport was cautiously optimistic before arriving, and acknowledged that the atmosphere in Mexico City during the opening match had been extraordinary — raising questions about how the United States would compare.

The moment things changed

For Ian Dennis of BBC Radio 5 Live, the shift came in Atlanta. A vibrant fan festival in downtown Atlanta and crowds from multiple nations mingling together gave the tournament the feel it had been missing. He did note, however, that some American fans attending matches were supporting a country out of affinity rather than deep allegiance — which occasionally left the atmosphere inside stadiums feeling thin.

Sam Harris found his own turning point away from the stadiums entirely — tailgating with Brazilian fans in Philadelphia and watching Cape Verdean supporters turn Boston into a street party. "The World Cup is only as good as its fans," he wrote. "You can host it anywhere, but without supporters bringing their songs, food, flags, and culture, it loses its heartbeat."

Bennett captured a vivid image of the mood shifting in New York: construction workers and office workers alike stopping on a Greenwich Village pavement to peer through a bar window at the closing stages of Cape Verde's remarkable 0-0 draw with Spain.

Philadelphia leads the way

Of all the host cities, Philadelphia emerged as a standout. With four matches in just nine days, the city threw itself into the tournament. Fans gathered on the steps around the Rocky statue on the eve of every match day, creating what Bennett described as an incredible, heart-warming atmosphere.

The fan festival at Lemon Hill drew nearly 55,000 people for a single day — the largest crowd at any host-city supporters' event in the United States — during the USA's second group match. Boston also drew praise, with reporters still talking about the impact of Scottish Tartan Army supporters and the spectacle of Norwegian fans forming their "Viking Row" ahead of the match against France.

Americans get behind the USA

The surge in local enthusiasm has coincided with the United States men's team advancing deep into the tournament. As the side have gone on a winning run, American fans have rallied behind them — and, according to Harris, have even developed chants that hold their own in the stands. Alex Howell, BBC Sport's England reporter, admitted he had not expected the World Cup to break through the noise of America's crowded sporting calendar. That scepticism, he said, has completely evaporated.

Neil Johnston attended eight matches across New Jersey, Philadelphia, Toronto, Boston, and Miami and reported that fears over empty seats had not come to pass. Rose, meanwhile, described bars, shops, and even beachside cafes in Santa Monica rolling televisions out onto the pavement so passers-by could catch the action.

Houston remained the one city where the World Cup buzz was harder to find away from the stadium — its sprawling geography making chance encounters with the tournament's atmosphere less likely. But across the rest of the country, the picture is clear: the United States has embraced the World Cup.