Swedish World Cup Fan Discovers an American Obsession

A young fan from Sweden has developed a fondness for a uniquely American experience. Elsa Thora, 24, from Stockholm, arrived in Indiana on June 8 and quickly found herself enamored with ranch dressing.

“It’s incredible. I’ve been telling everyone that I can’t live without it now. I think I’ll either order it online or try making it myself,” she shared.

She noted, “I don’t think it exists back home in Sweden… I’ve never seen it there or in England.”

Thora referred to ranch dressing as “crack,” using it on everything from fries to hamburgers and even bacon-wrapped tater tots.

Additionally, she is charmed by the warmth of Americans.

“People just approach me and say ‘hello’ on the street. I mean, it’s similar to my experiences in San Francisco before,” she mentioned. “That’s really not how it works in Sweden. There, people are quite anti-social and don’t chat with their neighbors at all.”

Even simple occurrences seem magical to Thora.

“The school bus looks amazing, the fire truck is fascinating, and, of course, the diner! Everything feels like it’s straight out of a movie. I honestly feel like I’m in a movie right now,” she expressed, noting that school buses don’t exist in Sweden.

One surprising cultural revelation for her was discovering the Amish are “real.” She remarked, “I saw them and their horse-drawn carriages; it was surreal.”

For the next few days, Thora plans to explore Indiana before heading to San Francisco. After that, she’ll be in Dallas on June 25 for Sweden against Japan, followed by a trip to the New York City area for England vs. Panama on June 27. She intends to stay through the July 4 celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

“I can’t wait for Independence Day! I love how patriotic everyone is here,” she said.

Thora is dreaming of making this experience permanent.

“I really want to move to America! But I know it’s quite tough for Europeans to relocate,” she admitted.

Sola, a zealous World Cup fan, is one of many exploring the U.S., gaining attention for both his cultural experiences and his culinary adventures.

Meanwhile, another traveler, a German influencer named Fiago (Finn Agostinelli), is soaking in the sights of Chicago and has become captivated by the tailgating scene.

“I’ve become hooked on the lively pre-game festivities! We don’t really have anything like that in Europe,” he explained. “Everyone invites you into their trucks and offers food and drinks. We made a ton of new friends!”

A Scottish traveler named Sean also shared his excitement about American cuisine.

“Every Scot living in America needs to try chicken-fried steak as soon as possible. You’ll see we’re kindred spirits with Americans,” he remarked.

This comment even caught the attention of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who responded, “Haha, chicken-fried steak is the ultimate Americana!”