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Trading World Cup Euphoria for A Broken Umbrella
6 min readJul 9, 2026
Laura A. Weber
Our global pandemic of sadness was briefly interrupted these past few weeks by the astounding confluence of exhilaration and goodwill that is the FIFA World Cup. Like an umbrella of Joy! This is just what the world needs at this moment in 2026:
- The thrumming, momentum-building chant of the Norwegian “Viking Row”
- Antics of the Tartan Army that overtook Boston with conviviality and Scottish mirth
- DR Congo’s “Statue Fan”
- The traditional post-match fastidious cleaning and tidying of the stadium by conscientious Japanese fans
- The effervescent Mexican wave
- For U.S. fans, the communal sung refrain of John Denver’s “Country Roads, (Take Me Home)” even surpasses images of valiant strikers sliding triumphantly after a “GOOOOOAL!”
The World Cup celebration has brought us all together for one brief, shining moment in the midst of war and calamitous global crises to cheer and cry, learn new language memes, new songs and dances, and welcome strangers-become-friends. The event has captured our imagination, inspired…
