Europe’s Love for Soccer—and the World Cup

For most of the globe, the World Cup is as big as it gets—and Europe is no different.

Much of Europe's love for soccer is rooted in accessibility: A pitch can be grass or pavement, a team can be three or thirty, and goals can be a pair of shoes or a line drawn on a wall. Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli, Rick Steves' Europe

The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup will soon kick off here in North America. But if you’re traveling in Europe while it’s taking place, you'll certainly feel its impact as well.

For most of the globe, the World Cup is as big as it gets—and Europe is no different. This is when soccer takes over daily life. Player news becomes national news, entire communities grind to a halt to watch games, and shops post unusual hours that suspiciously align with the match schedule. It’s when natives brush up on their national anthem, bars take on extra staff (and extra beer), and everyone comes together with one communal goal: to go nuts cheering for their country.