From Chicago to the World Cup: Local fans embark on soccer pilgrimages

The Super Bowl and Olympics may argue, but there’s no bigger sports event than the FIFA World Cup tournament.

Over the next month, the men’s national soccer teams representing 48 countries will compete in 104 matches — “fixtures,” they call them — in 16 stadiums in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It culminates with the championship July 19 in New Jersey.

World Cup 2026 will send some soccer fans from suburban Chicago across North America in search of the human drama of athletic competition.

And a good time.

“The whole thing’s a big social event. That’s one of the best things about soccer,” said Jim Kerby of Wheaton.

Next week, Kerby will pack his new U.S. men’s soccer jersey and fly to Seattle with his brother-in-law, Chris, and nephews Andrew and Owen.

They’ll meet up with Kerby’s 30-year-old son, Tom, who played soccer at Wheaton Warrenville South High School and now lives in Seattle.

Father and son will watch the June 19 match between the United States and Australia from their $1,300 seats behind one of the goals at Seattle Stadium.

“It’s good, it’s active, it’s a lot of fun, everybody’s into it,” Jim Kerby said.

And Kerby acknowledges they will be “sorely disappointed” if Team USA loses, they will make a good time of it. “It’s always a good excuse to see your kid,” he added.

Here is a look at what other suburban soccer fans are planning:

Road trip

Phil Labas was in a car somewhere in New Mexico when he chatted on the phone Tuesday with a reporter.

From Sunday to Wednesday, the McHenry resident and his friend Logan Pedersen of Minneapolis embarked on an iconic journey, driving the length of Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica, California, before joining the festivities surrounding the U.S. men’s Friday game in Los Angeles.

Labas and Pedersen are both members of the American Outlaws, a group dedicated to supporting U.S. soccer, with 30,000 members and 200 chapters.

Wherever and for however long Team USA stays alive, Labas will be there.

The self-described “rabid” soccer fan will lead about 2,000 American Outlaws from their tailgate location outside Los Angeles Stadium on Friday.

“The energy and visuals should be epic,” Labas said.

Once in their seats, he’ll lead cheers, chants and songs to support the U.S. men, which he believes will “help optimize the outcome of the game.”

Labas says he’s driven to share his love and passion for the game and to interact with other fans he wouldn’t have met without it.

“There are people I may not see for 18 months,” he said. “But when I see them, I hug them like family.”

The golden ticket

Matt Toscano was “a little bummed” the 23rd World Cup bypassed Chicago.

But the Crystal Lake resident says he figures the drive to Kansas City, Missouri, isn’t too far to watch defending champion Argentina play Algeria on June 16.

Toscano will then fly to Seattle to watch the U.S. men play Australia on June 19.

“I’ve played soccer for about 24 years, I’ve always been a huge soccer fan,” Toscano said. “Now that the Cup is here in the United States, I had to go catch a game or two.”

This is the first time Toscano is attending a World Cup in person.

“I’ll be decked out head to toe,” said Toscano, who works in an auto body shop in Schaumburg. “I have shoes that have American flags on them.”

He won his tickets to the Kansas City match in a contest. It was a bonus when Argentina, with superstar Lionel Messi, was assigned to that site.

“I definitely lucked out,” Toscano said.

Locking in

Rob Steva and his daughter, Sophia, are heading to Dallas later this month for their first World Cup. They also will benefit by watching Messi play with Argentina.

“It’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Rob Steva, who lives in Naperville. “He’s the Michael Jordan of soccer.”

Sophia Steva, an incoming sophomore soccer player at Benet Academy in Lisle, is looking forward to attending Argentina’s match against Jordan on June 27. She’ll bring a player’s perspective.

“I’m looking forward to seeing all the players in person,” Sophia Steva said. “I also like the atmosphere, how it gets exciting and loud. It’s something that I’d like to experience because I do play in serious situations sometimes where I really have to lock in.”

Rooting for Germany

When Josh Ruge heard that his favorite team — Germany — was going to play Curaçao on Sunday in Houston, he and his wife, Lauren, each paid around $700 for tickets.

“In a more perfect world, we would be traveling to Houston with a group of 10 to 20, but the ticket prices were just too, too much,” said Ruge, of Schiller Park.

Ruge attended the 1994 World Cup opener at Soldier Field. He returned last Saturday when Germany played a “friendly” against the United States.

He wonders what “the real European fans” in Houston will think of the Ruge party.

“Are the real Germans going to be, ‘What are these weirdos doing?’” Ruge said.

Just don’t bring up Chicago not serving as a World Cup host.

“To me, it’s pretty embarrassing, the third biggest city in the country with beautiful Soldier Field and a big soccer population,” he said. “We sold out the game last week. You’d figure we could sell out any game.”

Stay-at-home superfans

Not everyone can attend a World Cup game.

“It’s crazy expensive, there’s no way we could afford it,” said Sarina Flores of Lake Zurich, who works in the library at Palatine High School.

But you should see all the World Cup games entered on her cellphone calendar.

Sarina Flores and her husband, Irving, and sons Owen, Luke, and Jake, will watch most of the games on television, toggling channels if games are on at the same time.

Every family member has their own rooting interest. Sarina Flores favors Portugal in superstar Cristiano Ronaldo’s last World Cup appearance. They’ll host watch parties that include friends and the boys’ soccer teammates.

“Creating the experience at home, that’s what it’s all about. If you can’t get to a game, bring the crazy to your home,” Flores said.

The World Cup is a grand unifier, she said.

“It’s a community coming together,” Flores said. “It’s all these countries coming together, and we need a little bit of that right now.”