American soccer supporters are being heavily criticized online after viewers spotted what some called the “weirdest thing ever seen” during a World Cup warm-up match.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup officially began on Thursday, June 11, with Mexico opening the tournament in Mexico City before the second fixture of the day in Zapopan. This summer’s competition is the biggest in the event’s history, featuring 48 teams, 104 matches and host cities spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Co-hosts the United States and Canada begin their campaigns on Friday, June 12, but much of the discussion online is still focused on the pre-tournament meeting between England and Costa Rica.
The two sides met in Orlando on Wednesday, June 10, at Inter&Co Stadium, with the game serving as England’s final preparation before their opening World Cup group match against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday, June 17.
Tuchel’s side came away with a comfortable 3-0 win thanks to goals from Declan Rice, Anthony Gordon and Ollie Watkins.
weirdest thing you will ever see at a football match . People eating at tables at the corner flag. pic.twitter.com/CtFb4hy6Xt
— Stu Roberts (@Boroshirts) June 10, 2026
Despite the result, a lot of attention shifted away from the pitch and toward the crowd, where a scene inside Inter&Co Stadium left many viewers stunned.
As Rice prepared to deliver a corner during the first half, cameras appeared to catch spectators seated around tables and eating meals, more like a casual lunch setting than a football stand.
While plenty of viewers mocked the setup, the seating itself is not a temporary World Cup addition. Inter&Co Stadium has several premium hospitality areas, including table-style and club spaces designed to offer food and drink service alongside the match, which helps explain why the scene looked so unusual to fans used to traditional end stands and tightly packed terraces.
That image was a far cry from what supporters in England and across much of Europe usually associate with the sport, where packed sections, chants and constant noise are a central part of the atmosphere.
Unsurprisingly, social media quickly filled with confused and scathing reactions.
“Weirdest thing you will ever see at a football match,” one person wrote on X, while a second added: “Americans are intent on desecrating the beautiful game.”
A third penned: “At a f***ing stadium there’s a round table and they’re eating! Not even inside the box!! Naaaah! This is not it!”
And a fourth questioned: “WTF is modern day football.”
The reaction also taps into a wider culture clash around how the game is consumed in different parts of the world. Premium “experience” seating has become increasingly common at major venues in the United States, even at soccer-specific stadiums, but for many traditional fans the sight of people eating at pitchside tables during live play feels completely at odds with the sport’s usual intensity.
With the United States staging the bulk of matches over the next five weeks, there will likely be plenty more moments that capture attention online as international supporters get used to the look and feel of North American venues.
England’s World Cup campaign begins against Croatia in Arlington next week, while the newly expanded tournament runs through to the final on Sunday, July 19, at New York New Jersey Stadium.
Group A: Mexico vs South Africa, kick-off 12pm – Mexico City, Mexico
Group A: South Korea vs Czech Republic, kick-off 7pm – Zapopan, Mexico
Group B: Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina, kick-off 12pm – Toronto, Canada
Group D: USA vs Paraguay, kick-off 6pm – Los Angeles, US
Group B: Qatar vs Switzerland, kick-off 12pm – Santa Clara, US
Group C: Brazil vs Morocco, kick-off 3pm – New Jersey, US
Group C: Haiti vs Scotland, kick-off 6pm – Foxborough, US
Group D: Australia vs Turkey, kick-off 9pm – Vancouver, Canada
Group E: Germany vs Curacao, kick-off 10am – Houston, US
Group F: Netherlands vs Japan, kick-off 1pm – Arlington, US
Group E: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador, kick-off 4pm – Philadelphia, US
Group F: Sweden vs Tunisia, kick-off 7pm – Guadalupe, Mexico
Group H: Spain vs Cape Verde, kick-off 9am – Atlanta, US
Group G: Belgium vs Egypt, kick-off 12pm – Seattle, US
Group H: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay, kick-off 3pm – Miami, US
Group G: Iran vs New Zealand, kick-off 6pm – Los Angeles, US
Group I: France vs Senegal, kick-off 12pm – New Jersey, US
Group I: Iraq vs Norway, kick-off 3pm – Foxborough, US
Group J: Argentina vs Algeria, kick-off 6pm – Kansas City, US
Group J: Austria vs Jordan, kick-off 9pm – Santa Clara, US
Group K: Portugal vs DR Congo, kick-off 10am – Houston, US
Group L: England vs Croatia, kick-off 1pm – Arlington, US
Group L: Ghana vs Panama, kick-off 4pm – Toronto, Canada
Group K: Uzbekistan vs Colombia, kick-off 7pm – Mexico City, Mexico
Group A: Czech Republic vs South Africa, kick-off 9am – Atlanta, US
Group B: Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina, kick-off 12pm – Los Angeles, US
Group B: Canada vs Qatar, kick-off 3pm – Vancouver, Canada
Group A: Mexico vs South Korea, kick-off 6pm – Zapopan, Mexico
Group D: USA vs Australia, kick-off 12pm – Seattle, US
Group C: Scotland vs Morocco, kick-off 3pm – Foxborough, US
Group C: Brazil vs Haiti, kick-off 5.30pm – Philadelphia, US
Group D: Turkey vs Paraguay, kick-off 8pm – Santa Clara, US
Group A: Netherlands vs Sweden, kick-off 10am – Houston, US
Group E: Germany vs Ivory Coast, kick-off 1pm – Toronto, Canada