Not everyone is swept up in World Cup fever. Costa Rican content creators Araya Vlogs, Julián Valverde, and Antuan Fallas have been in the United States for weeks documenting the tournament — but their experience has been far from the passionate carnival they expected. After visiting a Fan Fest in Miami, influencer Fallas described the scene as “realmente triste” (“really sad”), noting that despite decent crowds, genuine football fervor was conspicuously absent.
Meanwhile, in a quirky off-pitch saga, German kit manufacturer Adidas has run out of the letter “V” for DFB fan jerseys. Supporters wanting names like Kai Havertz, Aleksandar Pavlović, or Deniz Undav on their shirts are out of luck — though Adidas has offered what Der Spiegel described as “a glimmer of hope” that the problem will be resolved.
US football pundit Mike Grella also stirred the pot by doubling down on his criticism of the Australian Socceroos, labelling Australians “insecure” — comments that predictably drew a fierce response.
