The lines were long but the people were happy Tuesday afternoon on the north side of Oak Park Mall. Sometimes a car or truck driver tapped hello on the horn. Sometimes a small group would spontaneously break out into applause.
Who could complain? It was, after all, the line for the buses that would take these ticket holders to the first match in the first World Cup Kansas City has ever hosted.
What’s more, Argentinian star Lionel Messi would be playing in what is likely his last World Cup.
The vibe was, as they say, chill.
Some of the riders had driven hours to see Argentina. Others were in line to support Algeria, a country whose team has been adopted by the people of Lawrence since arriving here earlier this month. Still others just wanted in on the good times and a chance to do something different.
Fabian Luque and his daughter Iara drove from their home in New Jersey for a chance to cheer for Argentina in their first World Cup.
Argentina has been their long-time favorite, since they moved from there to New Jersey in 2014, Fabian said. He was expecting an enthusiastic crowd at Arrowhead Stadium (temporarily renamed Kansas City Stadium for the tournament), based on what he saw at the Copa America international tournament last year. Argentina won that one.
This World Cup should be even bigger, he said.
“We expect to have a good time,” he said.
Lorena Lara also put in some serious driving time to get to Kansas City.
She drove 19 hours from Torreón, Mexico to see her favorite team, Argentina, in her first World Cup match.
“I think it’s going to be a great game. We arrived yesterday and the city is beautiful. People are so nice, so I bet we are going to have a really great week in Kansas,” she said.
She said she plans to catch a few more games at the FIFA Fan Festival at the World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City.
Likewise, German Garcia of Houston, Texas, drove twelve hours to make it to the bus line and eventually root for Argentina. Argentina are the champions, he said, “so I’m expecting a good time, a good vibe, plenty of people singing the strong songs with percussion. And a lot of people.”
Suraj Ranjo and Ghimire Subedi came from Texarkana, Texas, for the same reason.
Ranjo is from Nepal, but he and Ghimire have been fans of Argentina for a long time and want to see Messi, “the king of football.”
For Susan Beaman and her son, Joshua, of Lenexa, it was a chance to take part in something big.
“It’s a historically great moment for Kansas City,” said Susan. They are expecting a high energy game and a rowdy crowd.
Although there were a lot of Argentina jerseys in the line, not everyone was going with the intention to cheer for Argentina.
Mark Putnam of Bashor, Kansas, shrugged off the question of who he’d cheer for.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said.
Becky Galloway, of Lawrence, standing next in line added, “It’s just the thrill of the game and all the people and different nationalities.”
Algerian fans appeared to be fewer in line, but there were some.
Zakaria Bireche of San Francisco and Abdel Tahir, of Montreal, Canada, said they were Algerian born and raised coming to cheer their native country in their first World Cup.
Zakaria praised the welcome Algeria has received.
“All Algerians are happy to be here,” he said. “The city is beautiful but the people are nicer. They make it more beautiful.”
