The French national football team made an impression by winning 2-1 against Brazil in a friendly match held in the United States. This encounter, serving as a rehearsal two months before the World Cup to be held in the U.S., allowed for testing the reception conditions and logistical organization in a country where football is still a developing sport.
“It was awesome, waiting for the World Cup, it’s home coming here,” reacted Olivier, an expatriate in Boston.
The influence of American sports codes
The organization of this sports event revealed a clear desire to import American entertainment codes into international football. Between pyrotechnic shows, crowd engagement, and a sound atmosphere reminiscent of basketball games, football is adapting to the standards of local sports performance to attract an audience accustomed to “entertainment,” as seen in the U.S.
“There’s a mix between the show and American, entertainment. It’s really entertainment above all. It’s a bit like in basketball stadiums, there’s a mix of NBA arenas and European atmospheres,” explained Yann, a French expatriate.
The World Cup will not only borrow the best from American sports culture. Spectators also discovered the “cooling break,” a break for refreshment even in cool weather. “It’s for TV commercials! It’s 10 degrees Celsius,” can be heard from French spectators in the stands. “It makes no sense. It’s like in American football, there are 50 commercial breaks on TV, so that’s why they interrupt the game.”
Didier Deschamps, not convinced
A thinly veiled way of introducing quarters. A little over two months before the World Cup, the Americanization of international football has already begun. Didier Deschamps also expressed his thoughts on these cooling breaks. “We almost play four quarters, and it can disrupt everything.”
The match between the French national team, on Sunday, March 29, 2026, against Colombia will allow us to see if the American formula is validated or if adjustments are still possible.
