MILWAUKEE — Soccer fans from around the world gathered to watch the United States face Belgium in a round of 16 World Cup showdown, but Belgium ended the U.S. run after the Americans leveled the match in the first half.
The atmosphere brought together fans from across the globe, united by the sport.
Tilo Gray, a USA fan, said:
"It brings the whole community together. Everybody's here, fans, bunch of like Colombian fans, Mexican fans, Argentines, USA, Venezuela, and so it brings everybody together."
Watch: World Cup fans unite to cheer on USA before Belgium ends American run in round of 16
Not everyone in the crowd was rooting for the same team. One Belgium fan, Aiden Wischhoff, shared his reaction to FIFA lifting Flo Balogun's one-match red card suspension ahead of the match.
"I threw my phone across the room. It is not right, I don't know, play the game as we do, but it is what it is," Wischhoff said.
A fan from Portugal, Francisco Magarreiro, found himself cheering for the U.S. after his home country was eliminated from the tournament.
"I did not expect it to be this packed in the USA because usually I don't think it is a big sport, but it's yeah I love it," Magarreiro said.
For some in attendance, the World Cup is creating an entirely new generation of soccer fans.
"I started watching soccer two weeks ago. I do it mostly for the experience and the beers," USA fan Dawson Wilterdink said.
Hope filled the venue as the United States leveled the match in the first half, keeping alive the possibility of reaching the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. In the end, Belgium eliminated the U.S. from the World Cup 4-1.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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