Chili's, Waffle House and more: This World Cup fan is on the ultimate American road trip from Tennessee to Houston

Chili’s, Waffle House and more: This World Cup fan is on the ultimate American road trip from Tennessee to Houston originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

When you’re asked to imagine the most American attractions to visit on a road trip, most people would point to iconic landmarks or national parks. Instead, one World Cup fan, who calls themself, Freddy is using his road trip to visit the everyday places of Americans.

From going to a Waffle House at 1 a.m. to a Walmart trip to watching the NBA Finals at Chili’s, this fan has seen his fair share of America so far.

This trip to watch Germany’s World Cup matches is set to last six weeks, with Freddy exploring the United States and Canada along the journey. 

Here are some of the most quintessential American stops so far. 

MORE WORLD CUP NEWS:

Tracking World Cup fan’s American road trip

So far, Freddy had layovers in Dublin and New York City before arriving in Atlanta. 

Since landing, Freddy has made the most of his explorations through the American South. 

First stop: Atlanta 

Freddy landed in Atlanta and got the chance to explore the World Cup stadium. His posts from the city included photos of decorations to infuse Atlantans with energy.

Even though the first World Cup game in Atlanta is still 9 days away, you can already feel the World Cup atmosphere.

And there’s also still a lot of preparations going on in the city. pic.twitter.com/QlVzbkT7Lq

— Freddy🇩🇪 (@FreddyLA7) June 6, 2026

The first chain restaurant of the trip: Taco Bell

America and fast food go hand-in-hand. While some fast food places are exclusive to the states, many global fast food brands began in the U.S. McDonalds, Wendy’s and Burger King were founded in California, Ohio and Florida, respectively. The first fast food place to visit in this case, was Taco Bell, which Freddy described as “The Holy Land.” 

The holy land pic.twitter.com/5v1gr8u7Co

— Freddy🇩🇪 (@FreddyLA7) June 7, 2026

Walmart

Surely, Freddy wouldn’t miss out on a big box store while in the U.S. This Walmart haul includes water, socks, and USA Soccer merchandise. It’s never too late to find an extra team to root for. 

WALMART ACTIONNNN!!!😁 pic.twitter.com/E0tF6uUDI2

— Freddy🇩🇪 (@FreddyLA7) June 8, 2026

MORE:Meet the referees for 2026 World Cup

Waffle House in the wee hours of the morning

Those who have lived in or frequent the South are familiar with Waffle House, a sit-down, diner-style restaurant that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. As a result, some travelers insist on going in the middle of the night for a more classic slice of Americana. In this case, Freddy went at 1 a.m.

Just had our first Waffle House experience at 1am. Great food, great prices, and friendly staff. 10/10, we will be coming back.😋 pic.twitter.com/QHgftpqfoX

— Freddy🇩🇪 (@FreddyLA7) June 8, 2026

The third W, Wendy’s

Next up was one of the United States’ most iconic fast food restaurants: Wendy’s. Freddy, whose name is listed as “John” on the order, has a tray of burgers, sandwiches and fries.

The official Wendy’s Twitter account, however, appeared disappointed, commenting “WHERE IS THE FROSTY.” 

WENDY’S ESCALATION!!!!! pic.twitter.com/eaUMYbSI7I

— Freddy🇩🇪 (@FreddyLA7) June 8, 2026

Chattanooga, Chili’s and a change of sport

After a journey into Tennessee, Freddy stopped to watch the NBA Finals. But of course this would not be complete without checking off another American chain restaurant. In this case, it was Chili’s. 

Chili’s & NBA Finals😋 pic.twitter.com/JxKnjLCzrq

— Freddy🇩🇪 (@FreddyLA7) June 9, 2026

A trophy for Alabama

It’s been since Nick Saban in 2021 that Alabama football won the National Championship trophy. However, Freddy ensured that a different type of football trophy still set foot in Alabama, even if it’s not the real deal. 

THE WORLD CUP TRIP HAS MADE IT TO ALABAMA!!!!!!!

The third state of the tour. pic.twitter.com/W6M9p6QQ89

— Freddy🇩🇪 (@FreddyLA7) June 9, 2026

Who is the World Cup Fan on the American road trip

The World Cup fan making this road trip owns the account @FreddyLA7 on Twitter. Not much is known about the identity of this fan, though he claims to be from Germany.

In previous posts, he has made his fandom of Cristiano Ronaldo clear, and in his Twitter bio, he links Al Nassr, Ronaldo’s Saudi team, and FC Midtjylland, a team from Herning, Denmark. 

Germany World Cup schedule

Germany’s first World Cup match is on Sunday in Houston. It will be playing against Curacao, a major underdog story from World Cup qualifying. 

DateTime (ET)Match / ResultLocationSun, Jun. 141 p.m.Group stage: Germany vs. CuracaoNRG Stadium, HoustonSat, Jun. 204 p.m.Group stage: Germany vs. Ivory CoastBMO Field, TorontoThu, Jun. 254 p.m.Group stage: Ecuador vs. GermanyMetLife Stadium, East Rutherford