The 2026 World Cup has delivered its share of spectacular goals. It’s also delivered a string of small hospitality stories that keep circulating online, far from the pitch. In New Jersey, a neighborhood deli found itself in the middle of that attention without ever asking for it.
In Midland Park, a small town in Bergen County about thirty minutes from New York City, Roger Schnorrbusch runs Park Wood Deli. Regulars call him “The Deli Guy.” In recent weeks he’s been serving a crowd he’s not used to: fans from Norway, Scotland, Italy and England, in town to catch World Cup matches.
The moment that set it off was simple. A couple of British tourists walked into his shop; Schnorrbusch decided to give them their meal for free, saying he wanted to thank them for coming “all this way.” The scene, filmed and shared online, was enough to turn the deli into a must-stop for travelers passing through the New York area.
It’s not an isolated case. Since the tournament kicked off, thousands of foreign fans have been discovering small American eateries for the first time: neighborhood delis, well-stocked gas stations, comfort food that comes out of nowhere. Many leave won over, sometimes more by the welcome than by what was on the plate.
At Park Wood Deli, nothing has really changed in the kitchen: it’s still the same sandwiches. What’s changed, for the length of a tournament, is who’s eating them: fans of nationalities that nothing, save for a jersey or a scarf, seemed destined to bring together over a counter. The quarterfinals kick off Thursday, with a highly anticipated France-Morocco match. Until then, in Midland Park, they’re still handing out sandwiches to whoever’s come from far away.