Outside Gate 2 of Dallas Stadium on Saturday evening, Argentine drums echoed through the plaza while Jordanian fans danced to the sound of a saxophone.
Two blocks of supporters waited to enter, waving flags, singing in different languages and, for a few hours, turning North Texas into a gathering place for people who had traveled thousands of miles from home.
For many of them, the World Cup wasn’t just about soccer. It was about finding home again.
“It’s been quite an experience following the national team,” said Maximiliano Delía, 48, of Buenos Aires, Argentina. “People here have been so hospitable. It’s like we never left our country.”
Delía and six friends first met at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. They reunited in the United States this summer to follow Argentina’s title defense, bringing drums and leading chants outside stadiums across the country.
Only five of the seven in the group had tickets for Saturday’s match against Jordan in Arlington. The others spent hours refreshing ticket apps, hoping to find seats for less than $1,000.
“We’ll keep looking,” Delía said.
The soaring resale tickets left some fans celebrating outside the stadium instead of inside it. Several supporters said resale tickets were from $1,000 to $18,000.
Related: Tickets for World Cup games at AT&T Stadium among most expensive in U.S.
Nearby, Jordan supporters were experiencing a World Cup for the first time.
Walid Ghawram, a Jordanian fan from Boston, spent between $5,000 and $6,000 to follow his country’s historic debut. For him, the tournament became something more personal.
“I haven’t been in Jordan in a while,” he said. “Now, I feel like Jordan came to me.”
Jordanian supporters spent the week organizing gatherings, sharing meals and celebrating a moment many thought they might never see — their country playing on soccer’s biggest stage.
“This is definitely once in a lifetime,” Jordanian American Moe Kharabsheh said. “It’s going to mark in our hearts forever.”
The same feeling resonated with Daniel Diarbakirli, 70, who traveled from Buenos Aires with his sons Fernando and Martin to attend his first World Cup.
“The experience has exceeded everything I thought it would be,” he said. “The atmosphere and meeting people from other places has been wonderful.”
Not everyone who came to Arlington had a ticket in hand. Alex Bond traveled from El Paso and spent most of Saturday trying to secure a seat inside.
Several opportunities fell through before she finally purchased a ticket for about $1,000, including fees, at 9:15 p.m.
Wearing an Argentina jersey, Bond approached the gate nervously, unsure whether the ticket would work. Her son had already entered the stadium with his father.
Then the scanner flashed green.
Bond smiled with relief and hurried inside to join her son. Moments later, Argentina scored its first goal of the night. For Bond, the long wait and the hefty price tag were worth it. She simply wanted to experience a World Cup match with her son.
Erubi Rosas, 64, of Argentina’s La Rioja province, traveled to every city where Argentina played despite not having tickets.
“We came from Argentina without tickets and without any guarantees,” Rosas said. “But I still have faith that maybe I’ll get to see the national team.”
By the end of the night, Argentina had delivered the result supporters expected, defeating Jordan and sending thousands of fans home singing for the victory.