The World Cup only comes around every four years – and if you’re an American, you’ve waited eight long years to see your team play. (More about that later.) If your basic soccer knowledge is watching a few seasons of Ted Lasso, then we can get you Game Day ready for the World Cup in less than five minutes.
First, for those of you who haven’t watched it, Ted Lasso is the Apple+ TV series about an American football coach (played brilliantly by actor Jason Sudeikis). He snags a job at AFC Richmond outside of London, even though he has no soccer experience. No matter. He manages to lead a team without it. He also charms his boss, team owner Rebecca Welton, by bringing her a pink box of homemade biscuits (what we Americans call cookies).
Full disclosure…there’s also a Game Day Grub connection here…my sweet (half American, half British) kid works at Crystal Palace, the South London Premier League team, where Ted Lasso takes some of its inspiration. On occasion, when she goes to work at Selhurst Park, Ted Lasso is filming there. She’s cool about it, but I go total fangirl!
Sorry to start off with a downer but AFC Richmond isn’t playing in the World Cup. Roy Kent, Coach Lasso and Coach Beard are sidelined. AFC Richmond takes its name from a town on the outskirts of south London on the bank of the Thames River (pronounced “Tims” for Americans). The town grew up around a palace that Henry VII built in 1501. AFC Richmond has its own social media accounts and sells its official kit (British for jerseys, etc.). The team also boasts its share of celebrity fans including author and vulnerability guru Brene Brown, actress Drew Barrymore and country singer and actress Reba McEntire. AFC Richmond has even joined the FIFA ‘23 EA Sports franchise for gamers. But let’s be clear, the team isn’t real.
Teams like Chelsea, Man United and Arsenal aren’t in the World Cup either. The World Cup plays by countries – not teams - so individual players from Premier League teams like Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal etc. play for England or their respective home countries. The World Cup will start off with 31 teams vying for the title – including Belgium, Croatia, Ecuador, Spain and Japan. More countries tried to get in the World Cup but didn’t make it into that top qualifying group.
You can finally root for the U.S. if you want to. During the last World Cup in 2018, the U.S. team failed to qualify, meaning they were knocked out before the World Cup even started. So, U.S. fans have had to wait eight long years to see their country play in this World Cup.
Why Premier League Coaches Are Upset About the World Cup. The World Cup starts on November 20th and goes through December 18th , making it one of the shorter World Cups in recent history. Normally, the World Cup is played in June/July timeframe after the regular Premier League season ends. Not this time. FIFA, the World Cup’s governing body plopped it right in the middle of the Premier League Season. It’s like if the NFL season halted at Thanksgiving while top players went to play in another football league for a month. The Dallas Cowboys’ Jerry Jones and other coaches wouldn’t he happy! FIFA said they did this to keep players from competing in open air stadiums in the middle of a blazing summer in the Middle East.
Why does America have 50 states and one team, and the UK is the size of Michigan and has 2? Here’s a weird sports geography lesson. Technically, the United Kingdom could have four teams in the World Cup - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are considered separate countries. England and Wales qualified this time. The U.S. is considered one country with 50 states.
What is the one thing Ted Lasso won’t be drinking during the World Cup? Hot tea. He says, “Be honest with me. It's a prank, right? The tea? Like when us tourist folks aren't around, y'all know it tastes like garbage." That’s because he hasn’t tasted Game Day Grub’s London Fog. We have a recipe for an iced and hot version – that uses Earl Gray tea (not the standard English Breakfast blend of tea leaves that Ted avoids), frothed milk and pure vanilla extract, whipped to perfection.
Why is brunch important during the World Cup? You thought breakfast was the most important meal of the day, and it definitely is during the World Cup. With the matches being in Qatar, that means they are a minimum of eight hours ahead of the U.S. Get that coffee pot brewing early to catch some of the games. We’ve provided several great brunch and breakfast recipes so you can enjoy the game even more!
To create some great World Cup recipes, find them here. And let us know how you’re liking the World Cup – and the recipes – on our website or on our socials!
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