{"id":687304,"date":"2026-05-22T22:42:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T22:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/687304\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T22:42:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T22:42:13","slug":"from-a-health-scare-to-144-countries-how-the-2022-world-cup-inspired-a-global-soccer-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/687304\/","title":{"rendered":"From a health scare to 144 countries: How the 2022 World Cup inspired a global soccer journey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over three-plus years and 11 long-term adventures, San Diego resident Joe Connor traveled the planet seeking to watch organized soccer in every country that he figured would end up qualifying for the World Cup<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He fell just one short. (It\u2019s not hard to figure out which one.)<\/p>\n

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His mission never would have happened, though, if not for a blood clot.<\/p>\n

The 54-year-old has attended hundreds of events featuring dozens of different sports across six continents. He has seen baseball and basketball, horse racing and cricket, golf and Gaelic football, even ice fishing.<\/p>\n

In 2018-19 alone, over 675 consecutive days, he criss-crossed the U.S. and Canada<\/a> to attend a game, match, race, duel, meet or tournament.<\/p>\n

He dubs himself, \u201cThe GOAT of Sports Travel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Play 2026 Soccer Pick ‘Em with FOX One and make your picks for the world’s biggest soccer tournament<\/a><\/p>\n

Connor\u2019s first love was baseball, followed by college football and basketball. Boyhood was also consumed by hockey, which he played in Connecticut and watched with his father, a Hartford Whalers season ticket holder for a dozen years. Soccer was barely on his radar.<\/p>\n

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The moment Joe Connor fell in love with soccer<\/p>\n

Then in late 2022, as he prepared to visit New Zealand<\/a> for rugby and other sports, his cardiologist grounded him. He had developed a clot in his left leg.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s the holidays, I’m at home and I’m thinking, \u2018God, I was going to be on this vacation,\u2019\u201d he told Yahoo Sports last week. \u201cI was kind of bummed out and I’m like, \u2018Oh, the World Cup is on.\u2019 I had never watched soccer on TV \u2014 ever. I played it for two years in high school and hated it. It was a lot of running and I wasn’t very good at it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laid up at home, Conner gave soccer another chance.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe nationalism and the intensity of the games, I was hooked, man,\u201d he said. \u201cIt wasn’t just the U.S. games; it was everything about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He began getting out of bed before sunrise to watch the tournament play out in Qatar<\/a>, day after day for more than four weeks.<\/p>\n

About two months later, his doctor cleared him to take a sightseeing trip to his last continent, Antarctica.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s when I said to myself, \u2018I’m going to [also] go to Brazil<\/a> and Argentina<\/a> and Chile and watch some soccer,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n

Thus began his quest to see the world\u2019s game all over the world before it descended in its fantastical form across the U.S., Mexico<\/a> and Canada this summer.<\/p>\n

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By the time he finished last month, Connor says he witnessed matches in 144 countries and territories.<\/p>\n

\u201cSoccer passed hockey as my fourth favorite sport,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

\"\"Connor\u2019s global quest to experience soccer culture<\/p>\n

Ironically, he saw only three of the teams that will play in the World Cup this summer: Iran<\/a> at the 2025 Central Asian Football Association Nations Cup in Tajikistan; Turkey in a World Cup qualifier vs. visiting Romania; and South Africa<\/a> in a home qualifier vs. Lesotho.<\/p>\n

Not surprisingly, Iran was the only World Cup-bound country he wasn\u2019t able to enter. Multiple attempts to secure a visa failed, and when he was preliminarily approved last June, war broke out.<\/p>\n

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In the countries and territories he did visit, he saw first-division pro matches, including Bayern Munich<\/a> vs. Borussia Dortmund<\/a>; amateur games; women\u2019s matches; youth tournaments; and community competitions, such as the Yamle Yamle Cup in Zanzibar, a Tanzanian archipelago.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a quarterfinal and the shootout went nine rounds,\u201d he said of his island visit. \u201cFans stormed the pitch. Everyone is on the pitch. I\u2019m going on the pitch.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Cape Verde<\/a>, which has qualified for its first World Cup, he saw a league match, plus youth and over-35 games. In Curacao<\/a>, another World Cup first-timer, he watched the Concacaf under-20 men\u2019s tournament.<\/p>\n

An Australian trip this past March facilitated a chance to see North Korea face China<\/a> in the Women\u2019s Asian Cup.<\/p>\n

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In Colombia<\/a>, he got into the Cali Cl\u00e1sico between Am\u00e9rica and Deportivo. Unversed in the rivalry, he happened to wander into Am\u00e9rica\u2019s supporters\u2019 section. Fortunately, he was wearing a red shirt, the club\u2019s primary color.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess I was a good-luck charm,\u201d he said, \u201cso they lifted me up and gave me noogies.\u201d<\/p>\n

He has seen soccer in Guinea-Bissau and Gibraltar, Israel and Iraq, Botswana and Belarus, Luxembourg and Libya.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He has even seen soccer in places governed by non-FIFA member associations: Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, Guernsey in the Channel Islands and Mo\u2019orea in French Polynesia, among others.<\/p>\n

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There were harrowing moments, too.<\/p>\n

In Ivory Coast<\/a>, a driver threatened to beat him up if he didn\u2019t pay for gas. Locals defended him before accommodating the combative driver.<\/p>\n

In Cairo for the derby between Zamalek and Al-Ahly, he passed through three security checkpoints without incident but was stopped at a fourth because his name was not on an official list. Eventually, he was let into the stadium.<\/p>\n

Connor is living a soccer fanatic\u2019s dream, one that didn\u2019t start until after he turned 50.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’d gone to soccer matches in the U.S., and I’d seen MLS matches, but it was more like I was in a city and there was something to do,\u201d he said. \u201cIt wasn’t like I was a hardcore soccer fan.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Watching the 2022 World Cup \u2014 from home, of all places \u2014 changed that.<\/p>\n

The reality of long-term sports travel<\/p>\n

So how did he afford not just the soccer adventures but the countless sports journeys over the years?<\/p>\n

After all, it ain\u2019t cheap to visit every country on Earth except six \u2014 Iran, North Korea, Ukraine, Niger, Chad and Sudan \u2014 as well as places that are barely on a map, such as Bougainville, which is seeking independence from Papua New Guinea.<\/p>\n

A freelance sports writer, Connor became a career coach, helping people adapt to the changing work environment. Supplemental income comes from investments and rental properties.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI\u2019m a single guy with no kids, no children,\u201d he explained. \u201cI\u2019m not poor, but I’m not rich. I\u2019m not staying at the Ritz-Carlton. I stay at local hotels, local Airbnbs, because, unless the country is not safe to walk around, I like to explore by foot. I like to embed myself in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

He scores tickets through standard means, but also on the street, through local contacts and from teams.<\/p>\n

Aside from the thrill of watching sports, why does he do it?<\/p>\n

\u201cMy purpose is to inspire, motivate and educate people about the world through my travels,\u201d said Connor, who shares photos and videos on his website<\/a> and YouTube<\/a> page. \u201cEven if I inspired three people or four people, it’s better than nothing. There are still a lot of scary places \u2014 don’t get me wrong \u2014 but the world’s not as crazy as our media makes it out to be. There is so much to see and experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Don\u2019t count the days; make the days count\u2019<\/p>\n

Two events helped push him toward a life of sports travel.<\/p>\n

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His father died young, at 57. Joe Connor III had introduced his son to sports, with trips to Whalers and Boston Red Sox games, among other events. Attending sports was a way to honor his father.<\/p>\n

His mantra is a Mohammed Ali quote: \u201cDon\u2019t count the days; make the days count.\u201d<\/p>\n

The COVID pandemic also motivated him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had done this big road trip before COVID, where I’d seen all these sporting events in the U.S. and Canada,\u201d he said. \u201cBut when I got back, I thought, \u2018I want to meet someone. I’m not getting younger.\u2019 And then COVID happened. I lost family members and friends. It was a total recalculation. I realized that with the isolation that, no, I’m not ready for a relationship. I missed the travel.\u201d<\/p>\n

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With the World Cup on the horizon, soccer became the vehicle for new adventures.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s a curiosity when you travel,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve always had the travel bug and the sports travel bug. What was different was this was soccer and getting hooked watching the games.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of his most vivid memories was visiting Djibouti, in East Africa.<\/p>\n

\u201cKids are bare feet playing in the middle of the day all over the streets on cracked pavement with stray dogs running around,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve never seen so many kids. Djibouti may never make the World Cup, but they make the World Cup of passion for the game. I was blown away. It\u2019s not just about the matches; it\u2019s the passion.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A consumer of the four longtime U.S. leagues and NCAA sports, he soon came to realize soccer fandom is like nothing else.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmerica’s a great sports culture and fans are passionate about their teams,\u201d he said, \u201cbut honestly, it can\u2019t compare to the passion I’ve seen in these other countries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Connor has never attended a U.S. national team match, men\u2019s or women\u2019s. And until ticket prices fall, he won\u2019t consider buying World Cup tickets.<\/p>\n

Then again, the tournament is not taking place abroad \u2014 where he discovered soccer\u2019s heart and soul.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on more than three years of soccer expeditions, Connor says, \u201cI’m still processing everything. What stands out is, holy s***, I did all that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Over three-plus years and 11 long-term adventures, San Diego resident Joe Connor traveled the planet seeking to watch…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":687305,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[440],"tags":[21900,12624,39456,565,35902,3959,7426,49,48,102618,95,29759,251665,194805,111879,5897,114428,251664,1072,5441,17267,561,5685,82,13009],"class_list":["post-687304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-soccer","tag-2022-world-cup","tag-argentina","tag-asian-cup","tag-bayern-munich","tag-borussia-dortmund","tag-boston-red-sox","tag-brazil","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-cape-verde","tag-china","tag-colombia","tag-consecutive-days","tag-curacao","tag-hartford-whalers","tag-iran","tag-ivory-coast","tag-joe-connor","tag-mexico","tag-new-zealand","tag-qatar","tag-soccer","tag-south-africa","tag-sports","tag-world-cup"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=687304"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687304\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/687305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=687304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=687304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=687304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}