Image of a World Cup Match. (Photo Credit: Athena Mehling ‘29)
Judging by the excited murmurs that filled the air during Head of School Justin Brandon’s World Cup-themed commencement speech, it is safe to say that many members of the George School community followed along with this summer’s World Cup. Over 50 countries are represented throughout GS, meaning our community alone could feature an extremely wide variety of supporters for different teams. Every spectator was granted a unique perspective of the event, and each was just as eager to share these experiences with the rest of the George School community upon their return to campus.
Although many students and staff would be returning to campus, others had not yet experienced their first year within the GS community, but were excited regardless to share their love for the sport. Elena Morales Arias, a new Spanish teacher and dedicated Spanish fan, expressed that Spain’s win “made me excited to come to the States…like, I’m gonna go brag about my country now.” She shared how incredible the energy was while watching the final match on a big screen in her town, surrounded by hundreds of other supporters. “It was so much fun,” she described, “everyone was wearing stuff and painting their faces with the Spanish flag…and it was so crowded, it was crazy.” When the final whistle blew, signaling the end of the match and a victory for Spain, Elena cheerfully recounted, “We all started jumping, like, oh my god, we won!”
Images of a watch party for the World Cup Final. (Photo credit: Elena Morales Arias)
Another aspect Elena specified was the unity she viewed throughout the World Cup in Spain, explaining that they currently face political division as well, similar to the United States. However, these conflicts were not visible during the event; she explained, “Everyone was there, no matter who you voted for, old people, young people…we were celebrating the same thing…it was something I haven’t seen in a while.” Furthermore, the World Cup brought together not just members of one country, but all those who share the same love for the sport. Elena described how, previously, many Latin American countries have shown opposition towards Spain, something she did not see during this year’s World Cup. “It felt so good that the world was more united,” she said. “I felt loved.”
Additionally, George School community members were not only spectators of the World Cup this year. Take Arianna Cahue, a Spanish teacher and Mexico fan, who volunteered at several matches this year and got to witness more behind-the-scenes aspects of the event. She explained that one very positive part of volunteering is being able to meet a wide variety of new people: “These are people I would have never crossed paths with…[but] football brought us together.” There were also certain more challenging aspects of being a volunteer, but as Arianna put it, “Sometimes, you feel like what you’re doing is super tiny…[but] every little thing makes a difference, no matter how small you think it is.” For example, when participating in a pre-game ceremony that involves carrying very large flags from each country, she described the pressure she felt to honor that country’s flag, as she would have wanted someone else to do for hers. Finally, Arianna also shared a brief story about her son’s interpretation of the World Cup, as someone who was not as interested in soccer. After bringing him to one of this year’s matches, something he noted when describing how he had felt about it was that, “I think it’s the closest we can get to world peace.”
Images depicting different pre-game flag ceremonies. (Photo Credit: Miles Oakman ‘29 & Athena Mehling ‘29)
Although the George School community was not able to fully experience the 2026 World Cup together, the support and love for the sport can still be felt throughout the many groups on campus as the 2026–27 school year has begun. Students continue to wear the jerseys of their favorite teams, playfully tease supporters of their rivals, and frequently engage in the sport of soccer long after the final match has ended. As many have described, the World Cup is a chance for people from a variety of cultures to come together in a supportive environment, allowing them to set aside aspects that may divide them and instead focus on what creates connection, very similar to the community found at George School.
