The World Cup being played in Arlington is, in a word, unnatural.
It is unnatural—and sometimes a little jarring—to witness such an overt melding of old-world soccer rituals and American stadium sports schlock, like a fusion restaurant getting very extra about Philly cheesesteak eggrolls.
Because there’s no preparing a seasoned watcher of both European soccer and American stadium sports for the mashup of the English national team and the Chicago Bulls’ entrance theme. Or an overly peppy PA announcer barking out “let’s see who’s cheering on Croatia!!” by way of introducing fans clad in the country’s traditional red-and-white checkered kits. Same goes for the traditional unfurling of flags, the captain’s handshake at midfield, and the pre-match team photos all playing out beneath the JerryTron. And a hydration break sponsored by Powerade, featuring a performance by the Dallas Cowboys’ drum line and dancers.
Our touches are as manufactured in this sport as theirs are organic, which isn’t a matter of laziness versus this just being what America has to contribute to a sport still relatively new in these parts. (That, and a place of employment for Croatia’s Petar Musa, who plays his club matches for FC Dallas.)
You can be cynical about that if you’d like. Chances are the fans in attendance yesterday afternoon would pay you no mind. Because North Texas is now two for two in its group stage matches, after the late drama from Sunday’s Netherlands-Japan tilt was bettered by England and Croatia providing arguably the match—and inarguably the half—of the tournament thus far.
That was to be expected from two of the top 10 teams in the world, each of which skews ambitious in its play. Something would have had to go especially wrong for Harry Kane to stay silent in front of net and Jude Bellingham to be muted in the midfield. England is a team with so much leftover ammunition that Bukayo Saka, one of the pillars of Arsenal’s English Premier League title team, had to come off the bench.
Regrettably, something did go wrong for Croatia, when the legendary Luka Modric was subbed off in the 57th minute because his 40-year-old legs lacked the juice to keep up with England’s pace and power. But the team that punched higher above its weight than any other in Europe over the past decade landed a couple of haymakers to make this a spectacle. Martin Baturina’s upper-ninety banger was gorgeous, the sort of strike will make the wider world Google what the 23-year-old did for Como in Italy’s Serie A this season. And then there was Musa’s end-of-half equalizer, which set the bar for the feel-good local moment.
PETAR MUSA IN THE WORLD CUP!!! pic.twitter.com/Ke1s3AV7RB
— FC Dallasić (@FCDallas) June 17, 2026
The 28-year-old came to Dallas two and half years ago by way of S.L. Benfica, the sort of move that mid-career players looking for a leg up just do not make. Musa paid that no mind. When I profiled Musa in 2024, FC Dallas technical director Andre Zanotta told me that the club lured him here because “instead of going to the Bundesliga [in Germany], to a club that you’ll be one more there, he felt like, ‘I can do something different.’” He was right. In two and a half seasons with FCD, Musa has scored 47 goals and notched 12 assists. Now he’s given a club most renowned for exporting young American talent a proper World Cup moment to call its own, in its backyard.
Yes, the soccer delivered as hoped. But so did the feelings, however disjointed. Because we still got that UURRRAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH of a sonic boom when a ball touched the back of the net, and frantic applause when Croatian keeper Dominik Livakovic repelled a barrage of England shots on net, and so many glorious chants. Want to feel lighter on a Wednesday afternoon? Listen to tens of thousands of Englishmen serenade a Bellingham with “Hey Jude”:
勝利後の「Hey Jude」大合唱はやばい#FIFAWorldCup#England pic.twitter.com/r5lrIBww6Q
— あとむ (@0210atomu) June 18, 2026
And that’s why the World Cup works in Arlington: because it’s the World Cup in Arlington. It’s here in all its spectacle, its intensity, its joy. It is what we waited on. It is anticipation fulfilled.
Two matches down and seven more to go around these parts. Not all will deliver like the first two, and some may induce more side eye at the in-game presentation than others. There is much to scrutinize, if you want to, starting with who puts the show on. But as the Dutch and the Japanese and the English and the Croatians have reminded us, there is much to celebrate, too. Do what comes unnaturally.
Author 
Mike Piellucci View Profile
Mike Piellucci is D Magazine’s sports editor. He is a former staffer at The Athletic and VICE, and his freelance work has been featured in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Los Angeles Magazine and The Ringer. A Dallas native, he is a graduate of Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas and the University of Southern California. He’s a big fan of Star Wars and Johnny Cash.