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A Helpful Questions Guide for International Soccer Fans Visiting Philly for the World Cup 

By Matt Schultz

Published: May 28th, 2026 · 2:03 PM EDT

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Philadelphia is hosting six World Cup games this summer, and tourism in the city is going to be nuts. City officials are expecting roughly 500,000 international visitors flying in from all corners of the globe to enjoy the festivities and experience Philly firsthand. I’ve been thinking a lot about this – that’s going to be a pretty wild experience for international folks, who 1) may never have been to Philly before and 2) may not speak English fluently. That combo could be rough for them. Philly is a very particular place, and without the right vernacular, it could be an overwhelming culture to navigate. 

That’s why I’ve decided to throw together this guide of questions that tourists will most likely want to ask when they’re here. If you – our Philadelphian readers – run into any fans from abroad who seem confused, frightened, or overwhelmed, please present them with this list and help them find the questions they seek. I’m sure it’s in here.

Questions International Visitors to Philly Will 100% Want to Ask

• Is it always this humid?
• What time of day does the humidity usually subside?
• It’s just 11 AM and I have sweated through my shirt. Should I bring multiple shirts with me when I leave the house?
• It just rained and now it is somehow more humid. How?
• The SEPTA trains seem to run at random times in random directions, never the one I’d like to go in. Why?
• Are Philadelphia Ubers always this expensive?
• Is it normal to feel unsafe in an Uber?
• How should I let my Uber driver know I feel unsafe?
• My Uber driver won’t let me put my window down. Why?
• The smell in my Uber is upsetting. Normal?
• My Uber has been stuck in gridlock traffic on 76 for three hours. Can I ask him to let me out?
• My Uber is driving 90 mph down Lincoln Drive. How do I politely ask him to slow down?
• My Uber is driving 95 mph down Roosevelt Boulevard. How do I politely ask him to slow down?
• My Uber is surrounded on all sides by teenagers doing wheelies on quads and dirt bikes like a dystopian Presidential motorcade. How do I politely ask him to leave the teenage motorcade?
• We’re all going 110 mph now. My Uber driver and the teens are acting as one, having formed a kind of speed-centric psychological symbiosis. Normal?
• My Uber driver is now telling me about his failed real estate ventures. He says he was making money hand over fist after Covid but now “the market is all fucked” and his partners “stabbed him in the heart.” He says he’s way less stressed now, though, and enjoys making his own schedule. He says I’m his last ride of the night. He says he recorded tonight’s The Masked Singer and then barked “no spoilers” at me because he’s going to watch The Masked Singer when he gets home. He asks if we have The Masked Singer where I’m from. He’s been making eye contact with me in the rearview mirror for three full minutes. Normal?
• Mosquitoes will not stop biting me. They are everywhere. Anything I can do about that?
• Lot of trash on the ground here. Should I throw my trash on the ground as well?
• Is Stateside Live! a place for adults, or just people in their twenties?
• There is a long line for the mechanical bull. Flocks of onlookers are drawn to the bull. Is this religious in nature?
• I was enjoying my lunch at Stateside Live! when suddenly a DJ appeared and played so loudly my ears began bleeding. Nearby hospitals?
• Why are emergency room wait times 9 hours long?
• Why are there smaller, worse versions of doctor’s offices in CVS?
• Why is one cup of Chickie’s and Pete’s fries in Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia Stadium $64?
• Why are all the toilets in Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia Stadium already unusable?
• How could the toilets in the stadium be this wrecked already?
• The game doesn’t begin for another 40 minutes. How are these toilets filled to the brim?
• Are people coming into the stadiums at all hours just to use the toilets and then leave?
• I saw a man in Philadelphia Stadium exit a bathroom stall with a very tall can of Yuengling. He brought his beer into the stall with him and then brought the can out with him, taking sips of it before washing his hands. Disgusting. Normal?
• What do you mean there are only two subway lines?
• I thought this was a major American city?
• You must have tons of bike lanes then, yes?
• I feel dread as I climb the stairs to the El. Normal?
• I feel afraid on the El. Normal?
• I don’t like the smell on the El. Normal?
• The stadium area is in an endless sprawl of parking lots. Where is the culture of the city?
• Why do locals keep telling me if I want culture, I should check out Kensington and Allegheny? 
• Why does the Philadelphia accent sound like a toddler impersonating a medieval knight with CTE?
• I’ve heard Wawa has very good food. Where is the closest one?
• This can’t be right. This is a gas station. Am I in the wrong place?
• Philadelphia prides itself on its gas station sandwiches?
• The kiosk screen for ordering is absolutely caked in thick, grimy smudges. My guess is it’s some sort of human discharge. Oils from skin, perhaps. Sweat. Humidity hand-sweat. Do I have to touch it?
• Where am I supposed to stand while I wait for my Wawa sandwich? Everywhere I stand feels like I am in someone’s way. 
• This sandwich is not what I ordered. What can I do?
• This sandwich is very wet and limp. What can I do?
• This sandwich roll is very pale. This is not the color rolls should be. Rolls should be dark tan. This color is eggshell. What can I do?
• It’s time to go back to my hotel after a long day of confusion. I am very tired and feel quite sick. The faces of lawyers on billboards along 95 taunt me with their vacant smiles. Their thinning hair and gray teeth make me nauseous and sad. I long for home. How long is my trip here?
• A great miracle has occurred. I have discovered a place called Franklin Mills, and a wonderful oasis known as Dave & Busters. I love Dave & Busters. I love the Terminator-themed shooting game. I was wrong about Philadelphia. There is something here for everyone. Can you tell the Dave & Busters bartender I’d like to put ten thousand dollars on my Dave & Busters Power Card?