A Croatia fan ate so much Texas barbecue he couldn't sleep the night before his biggest match of the tournament.
Turns out he wasn't the only European losing his mind over brisket this week.
Now an Englishman in a hat the size of a satellite dish just settled the debate for good.
A Cowboy Hat Bigger Than His Expectations
Fox 4 Dallas-Fort Worth caught up with World Cup fans ahead of England's clash with Croatia.
Among them was an Englishman wearing a cowboy hat that looked borrowed from a rodeo clown.
He loved the beer.
He loved the hospitality.
Then the reporter asked him about Texas barbecue, and the real interview started.
"I had Texas BBQ yesterday, I had a lovely bit of brisket," he said.
https://twitter.com/PaulBrown_UK/status/2066862280805851305?s=20
He went fatty over lean – a small detail, but the kind that separates tourists from people who get it.
"Picked it up, put the sauce on it, dropped it in my mouth, melted in my mouth," he said. "It was absolutely beautiful. It's the best beef I've ever had in my life."
That's not a tourist being polite.
That's a verdict.
The Brussels Sprouts Question Nobody Saw Coming
The same fan tried pork chops and mac and cheese, calling the mac and cheese "average" – a brave take to give on Texas soil.
Then he hit a wall.
"What's this Brussels sprouts gratin about?" he asked. "We have Brussels sprouts at Christmas in England, why do you have it on your BBQ?"
Fair question.
Brussels sprouts spent decades as the vegetable kids hid in napkins.
Then somebody threw cheese on them, crisped them up, and turned them into a real BBQ side.
They've worked their way onto appetizer menus across the country since.
https://twitter.com/FOXSoccer/status/2067634916515545197?s=20
The Englishman's confusion makes sense – in his world, sprouts only show up once a year, smothered in tradition, not melted cheese.
Texas Barbecue Is Wrecking Europeans This Whole Tournament
This wasn't an isolated case.
That Croatia fan wasn't exaggerating either.
"Everything is so big. The food is great here, especially the Texas barbeque," he said. "We ate so much, we couldn't sleep all night."
A group of Dutch fans called Texas barbecue "fantastic" before their own World Cup outing.
Japanese fans posted themselves eating Texas brisket for the first time, and the reactions were not subtle.
German influencer Freddy has built a massive following just documenting his reactions to American food across the South.
https://twitter.com/TONYxTWO/status/2067626486513705283?s=20
Scottish fan Shaun has made it his personal mission to rank barbecue regions, and reportedly started an online feud doing it.
None of these guys came to America expecting brisket to change their life.
All of them are now acting like converts.
What This Says About America First Right Now
Forget the diplomats and the trade deals.
Texas brisket is doing more for America's reputation abroad than half of Washington combined.
These fans didn't come here for monuments or museums.
They came for the food, and the food delivered.
He said it on camera, unprompted, with no reason to lie.
That's the kind of review no embassy could buy.
England went on to beat Croatia 4-2, with Harry Kane scoring twice in the first half.
Somewhere in that stadium, a man in an oversized cowboy hat was almost certainly still thinking about that brisket.
Sources:
- Matt Reigle, "English World Cup fan in oversized cowboy hat delivers perfect verdict on Texas brisket ahead of Croatia match," OutKick/Fox News, June 17, 2026.
- "Best Of World Cup: Top Fan Moments, From England's Rodeo Fans To Mexico's Duck," FOX Sports, June 17, 2026.
- "World Cup visitors are discovering America – one Waffle House and side of ranch dressing at a time," Yahoo News, June 2026.