BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 26. The United States
hopes visitors to the 2026 FIFA World Cup will remember the
country's passion for football and its hospitality, U.S. Embassy
spokesperson Anthony Tranchina told Trend on the sidelines of the "USA-Türkiye
World Cup Watch Party" hosted by the embassy in Baku.


"I hope they'll remember that the United States is a country
that loves football, or as we call it in the United States,
soccer," Tranchina said.


According to him, many people mistakenly believe that Americans
do not care about football, but the atmosphere at World Cup matches
proves otherwise. Tranchina noted that U.S. hosting the 1994 FIFA
World Cup sparked his own interest in football.


"When I was a little kid, I never saw a football game until 1994
when the US hosted the World Cup for the first time. That's what
got me interested in football," he said.


He expressed hope that the tournament would inspire both
Americans and visitors from around the world to embrace the
sport.


"I think that this will provide an opportunity for Americans and
visitors from around the world to fall in love with soccer as they
see the US along with our Mexican co-host hosting the World Cup,"
Tranchina said.


Speaking about the role of sport in bringing people together,
Tranchina said his diplomatic career has allowed him to live and
work in different countries, including Azerbaijan.







"I am privileged that I have a career that takes me around the
world, and Azerbaijan is the sixth country that I've served in. I
root for the countries, I support the countries that I've lived in.
I support their football teams," he said.


According to Tranchina, many Americans support not only Team USA
but also the national teams of the countries where their families
come from or where their friends are from.


"We are a country that has people from all over the world. I'm
of Italian descent myself, and I have family members that support
Italy, which is not in the Cup this year," he said.


Tranchina said this reflects the welcoming nature of the United
States as this year's World Cup co-host.


"It shows that the United States is a country that is welcoming
the world, we want to showcase American hospitality, we want to
showcase American tourism, and we're so happy to welcome the world
this year in 2026," he said.