Six games remain in the 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup, and New South Essays is prepared to announce the winner…
That’s right. The bastion of Southern culture since 1955, this ubiquitous, quick-turn, made-to-order, diner-in-a-shoebox restaurant chain has captured the world’s attention and reaped untold millions in social media publicity from the thousands of tourists crisscrossing America to watch World Cup matches at one of the 11 U.S. venues, including four Southern cities (Atlanta, Miami, Dallas and Houston).
While the South has not always embraced the beautiful game, it is fact that Atlanta is now the U.S. capital of soccer in America. Even if Southerners don’t understand all the rules, or the hairstyles, they like it when folks complement their institutions and appreciate their cuisine.
That’s exactly what has played out since the pre-tournament friendlies brought global tourists to our shores even before the first official World Cup match on June 11. The undisputed influencer of the summer has been German twentysomething soccer fan FreddyLA7, whose straightforward appreciation of all things American has elevated Southern brands like Buc-ee’s, Ella Langley and, of course, Waffle House.
His epic quest to discover the South began on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, and continues on Instagram. While many brands across the U.S. have benefitted from Freddy’s viral social media posts, I have particularly enjoyed the Waffle House mania inspired by his content the most.
Waffle House has taken maximum advantage of the audience share the World Cup delivered. I have seen exactly zero Waffle House ads during World Cup matches, but their merchandise and social media presence has kept the steady drumbeat of Waffle House images in my feed all summer long. Kudos to their social media team. Do yourself a favor and follow Waffle House on Instagram. They look to be producing quality content long after the World Cup is nothing but memories (and for U.S. fans, disappointment).
I have written in this space before about my relatively recent appreciation of the Beautiful Game, so this is the first World Cup I’ve paid any attention to at all. It helps that it’s in North America and the USMNT had early success. While controversial at the time, FIFA’s decision to spread out the tournament over 16 cities in North America, while logistically challenging, has brought fans to the nooks and crannies of the United States and not just the major cities.
Don’t get me wrong, the matches have been a joy to watch. I’ve particularly enjoyed sharing them with my middle son, Harris, and my football enthusiast friends, Zack, Bob and Brian. And I may or may not be devoting a larger quantity of time than is advisable to discussing the intricacies of the tournament with our summer intern, Lashawn, a former collegiate soccer player and personal friend of USMNT star Sebastian Berhalter.
But the lasting legacy of the 2026 World Cup will be the joy and appreciation our Southern staples like Waffle House prompted. Truth be told, I have eaten at Waffle House since the World Cup started, and it’s not necessarily a choice I would have made otherwise.
It makes me think about my former fellow church member and Waffle House co-founder, Tom Forkner. I’ve reflected on the stories from former Waffle House communicator and former GTRI colleague Amber Rice. And with a smile and a tear, I have remembered former colleague and CBF Foundation president Don Durham, who passed away in 2022.
Don aspired to be the chaplain of Waffle House. He saw Waffle House as a context for authentic interpersonal ministry, and not just where folks with the munchies go after a late night of partying and get into mischief. I know Don would have enjoyed seeing the Waffle House love this World Cup, and if he had encountered FreddyLA7 at 2 a.m., he would have reveled in hearing the stories of Freddy and his companions, and he would have let Freddy know God loves him.
So no matter who lifts that golden-fingers-hoisting-the-globe trophy in a little over a week, I’ll be glad to have experienced the football, but gladder still to see Waffle House achieve stardom.
This Southerner is triple ordered, smothered, covered, chunked, diced, peppered, capped, topped and country over seeing our beloved greasy spoon in the spotlight. Come to think of it, I’m getting a hankerin’ for some hashbrowns right now.
New South Essays 