While football’s biggest tournament prepares to get underway across the United States, a very different sporting obsession is consuming the nation right now.
Wild celebrations erupted throughout New York City on Wednesday, with fans standing on their cars along the streets of Manhattan as the New York Knicks staged a stunning comeback against the San Antonio Spurs.
That victory, the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, served as a blunt reminder of what the World Cup is up against in its host nation.
Football, or soccer as it is known locally, simply does not command the same passion in the USA as basketball or American football, and a recent poll found half of Americans surveyed do not care about the tournament.
In New York, signs of the tournament are visible if you look closely enough, with subway trains decked in national team colours and Lionel Messi’s face appearing on a giant billboard in Times Square.
Morocco and Brazil meet on Saturday in the first of eight matches at the MetLife Stadium, rebranded as New York New Jersey Stadium for the tournament, but locals appear far more focused on the Knicks.
“To be honest I haven’t really kept up with anything about the World Cup,” one fan told BBC Sport. “I don’t care about anything other than the Knicks.”
Fan Frank echoed that sentiment, saying: “I’ve been concentrating on my Knicks but once it’s over I will definitely turn my focus to the World Cup. It’s just that the Knicks have taken over everything right now in New York.”
Over in Los Angeles, where the host nation USA will play two of their three group games, the World Cup presence on the streets is similarly understated for a tournament of this scale.
Banners near Los Angeles Airport promote the tournament alongside electronic billboards featuring members of the USA squad, while a large mural in downtown LA features Argentina legend Lionel Messi.
However, one taxi driver transporting BBC World Service colleagues expressed genuine surprise at the news, asking: “There’s a World Cup happening? Who’s playing?”
Larry Freedman, co-chairman of the Los Angeles World Cup Host Committee, remains optimistic that enthusiasm will build rapidly as matches begin in earnest.
“I think we have had a slow build that is leading to a frothy frenzy,” Freedman said, adding that LA’s diverse community means many residents will have nations to cheer for throughout the competition.
In Santa Monica, Isaiah and Husna, both from Sacramento County, admitted they had never closely followed the World Cup but were excited by its arrival in their home city.
“I’ve never actually watched the World Cup but I will watch it this year,” Isaiah said. “I think it will be exciting because it is here in LA now and LA is where it is at.”
Husna added: “Many people don’t know what the World Cup is here, but now it is in LA and this is a big popular place they will know about it and watch it.”
Meanwhile, Scotland fans arriving in Boston ahead of their opening game against Haiti have been surprised by the low awareness surrounding the tournament among locals.
“I had a Scotland top. She didn’t even know the World Cup is on,” one member of the Tartan Army told BBC Sport Scotland, while another supporter noted: “The pubs are brilliant but I don’t think anyone knows that there is a World Cup on.”
Ticket prices have presented another barrier to engagement, with the cheapest available tickets for the USA’s opener priced at $1,120 (£836), leaving many families priced out entirely.
Fan Brennan, attending with wife Erica and children Stephanie and Marcel, said: “If it was more affordable for families we would definitely go and check it out. Despite that we will still be excited and watch it from home.”
Younger Americans do appear more enthusiastic, with 30,000 fans registering interest for just 5,000 tickets to a recent USA training session, suggesting appetite is growing as the opening game draws closer.
Fan Mahon said: “We have watch parties set up so we are very excited for it. I think it has surpassed baseball in popularity here, but I don’t think it will get as big as American football or basketball.”
USA defender Chris Richards acknowledged the team’s unconventional promotional efforts, including international Malik Tillman appearing on the cover of a fashion magazine, joking: “It’s been sent around the group chat a few times… there’s some questionable pictures!”
Fellow defender Mark McKenzie was more philosophical, saying: “Ultimately it’s about exposure. I’m always up for expressing ourselves in different ways.”
The USA last hosted the men’s World Cup in 1994, a tournament widely credited with transforming football’s profile in the country and paving the way for the creation of Major League Soccer, and organisers will be hoping for a similarly lasting legacy this time around.
