I didn’t expect much as I ambled past the zoo and past the long sidewalk en route to the FIFA Fan Fest. If anything, I expected a large crowd jostling each other to get a look at a giant TV. What I received was much greater, though. After making it past security, I saw a bustling fan store, where fans from all over the world perused through merchandise, which ranged from jerseys of the Panamanian national team to keychains of Zabivaka—the one who scores—or the toy wolf mascot who has endeared himself to visiting fans. Eventually, I got to a charger station, where people would charge their electronic devices and crowd around the tent talking football. I managed to survey several people there—when you don’t have electronics, and when you don’t have a game to watch, and when you have to stay near to keep an eye on your phone, there’s pretty much no way they would say no to the survey. I translated the surveys into Spanish and Italian for some people, and I met some great fellow fans. Later, I would go on to the middle of the fest, and kick around a soccer ball with other fans, as we watched Iran take on Spain. It was, as FIFA surely intended, the ultimate fan experience.
