On Aimara Aquino’s 15th birthday, her father promised they would travel to the World Cup together, taking their first flights outside Argentina.
Now nearly two years later, Aquino stood beneath the wooden archway of the Fort Worth Stockyards and soaked in the heart of cowboy country.
“We saw a lot of movies about Texas,” Aquino said. “We were scared about the people. We didn’t know how they were going to treat us. But they are so kind and they help us a lot.”
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Aquino and her father are among an estimated 3.8 million visitors expected in the Dallas-Fort Worth region for the FIFA World Cup, according to Visit Dallas.
Related: The Dallas Morning News’ World Cup 2026 Guide
For many, this is a first visit to Texas, their impressions shaped before they arrived by Western films and country music.
Yet even amid the crowds, for Roberto Aquino, Dallas is a place that moves at a relaxed pace.
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“In Argentina, in Buenos Aires, we go fast all of the time,” he said. “A lot of things are happening. But here, everything has a time. The people are more quiet.”
Brothers Hiroki Abe and Kazuki Abe traveled from Japan to cheer on Samurai Blue and watch the Stockyards daily cattle drive.
“Many people here have a lot of energy,” Hiroki Abe said. “They’re so energetic. In Japan, they’re too quiet. Sometimes I feel we should be noisy.”
For the brothers, Texas lived up to its larger-than-life reputation.
“The people are bigger than us,” Hiroki Abe said, raising his hand above his head. “Their height is tall,” he added, stretching his hands outside his frame. “And their waist is wide.”
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“I’ve never seen such a big guy in Japan.”
Matthias Weiss and Julie Kabus from Cologne, Germany, described their expectations of Texas in a string of words: “Cowboys, horses, cows, lots of food and humid weather.”
Kabus pointed her hands toward the sky.
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“And ba-bang. Pistols.”
The pair attended Thursday’s World Cup match between Sweden and Japan at Dallas Stadium in Arlington.
“The show business of the Americans is great,” Kabus said. “It’s huge, it’s famous, it’s loud, it’s spectacular, it’s fun, it’s colored.”
Still on their travel list? Southfork Ranch, the iconic Texas home from the television series “Dallas,” which became a cultural phenomenon in Germany after its debut in June 1981.
Igor Bobek of Gothenburg, Sweden, had heard of Southern hospitality before. He expected Texans to be friendly. But he wasn’t prepared for the scale of everything.
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“Compared to Sweden, at least, everything is over the top,” he said. “From your cars to your portion sizes, the stadium, everything is so huge here to what I’m used to. It’s very different, but I like it.”
One custom Bobek is still adjusting to is tipping at restaurants. He said he’s adapted during his visit but hopes American servers are eventually paid fair wages.
Two days into his trip, Bobek reflected on what he might take home from Texas.
“Being a little more social like you guys here,” he said. “You’re very approachable.”