AI Summary
5 min readThe World Cup is healing us
The videos are everywhere on social media: World Cup tourists from overseas wandering through American grocery stores, marveling at the size of the soda fountains, posing with red fire trucks, and grinning in front of Walgreens. "I love this cookie," one tourist says, holding up a package. Another stands outside a fire station in Florida, asking if he can go inside for a look. These clips have become an unlikely viral phenomenon during the 2026 Men's World Cup, and they point to something larger than just tourism. As Vox senior culture correspondent Constance Greene puts it, the tournament is showing "what Trump can't destroy about America."
Soft power in the age of hard power
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:00) **The World Cup's Surprising Positive Vibes** - Despite political tensions and logistical disasters, the tournament's mood is unexpectedly upbeat.
- 2 (02:35) **Guest Introduction: Constance Greene on Soft Power** - Vox culture correspondent Constance Greene explains why the World Cup is a story about cultural exchange, not just sports.
- 3 (03:27) **Viral Videos of Tourists Loving America** - Social media is full of World Cup visitors marveling at everyday American sights.
- 4 (05:50) **The Core Thesis: Soft Power vs. Trump** - The World Cup is offsetting the damage Trump has done to American soft power.
- 5 (08:20) **Trump's Disinterest in Soft Power** - Trump explicitly prefers "hard power" (fear) over persuasion.
- 6 (09:06) **American Hospitality as a Counterforce** - Despite xenophobic rhetoric from the administration, many Americans are welcoming tourists.
- 7 (10:37) **Can America Reclaim Its Soft Power?** - The World Cup shows a "fighting chance" for restoring global goodwill.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
The World Cup is showing what Trump can’t destroy about America.
This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru and Kelli Wessinger, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by David Tatasciore and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.
US fans at the FIFA Fan Festival at LA Memorial Coliseum after the US scored their first goal against Paraguay. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images.
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