Viral soccer influencer teases route through Pittsburgh for World Cup

• A viral German soccer influencer, FreddyLA7, is considering a route through Pittsburgh on his way to a 2026 World Cup match.
• Pittsburgh locals are suggesting he visit Kennywood, see a Pirates game, and try a Primanti Bros. sandwich.
• The influencer, who remains anonymous, has gained a large following on social media by documenting his travels in North America.

With a viral German soccer influencer planning a route that would likely take him through Pittsburgh as he travels northeast for the 2026 World Cup, locals have plenty of suggestions on Steel City experiences he should try.

"Don't miss aht on a stop in the Steel City!" the Pittsburgh Steelers wrote on X.

FreddyLA7, a German soccer fan who's gone viral in recent weeks as he shares his wonder at North American culture while traveling to World Cup matches, may come through Pittsburgh on his way to Germany's next match scheduled in Massachusetts. Yinzers are hoping he visits Kennywood, sees a Pittsburgh Pirates game and tries a Primanti Bros. a sandwich piled high with French fries.

Is German soccer influencer FreddyLA7 coming to Pittsburgh for 2026 World Cup?

On June 22, FreddyLA7 shared a screenshot of a potential route that would take him from Toronto through Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and other parts of the Northeast before reaching his destination in Boston ahead of Germany's game at Gillette Stadium.

The prospective route would likely cut through Pittsburgh.

"This is our plan for the coming days," FreddyLA7 wrote. "The next game we’ll attend is Germany’s Round of 32 match in Boston on the 29th. Since we have 7 days to get there, we decided not to take the direct route and instead make a huge detour through Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and a few other states. Any recommendations for places or cities to visit along the way are very welcome!"

In a reply to the post, he shared a second screenshot of another possible route that would miss Pittsburgh, instead cutting through the upper northwest corner of the state.

"The actual route is probably gonna look more like this," he said. "We‘re still pretty undecided."

Who is FreddyLA7?

FreddyLA7 is an anonymous German soccer fan who has gained notoriety on X as he shares his experiences traveling to 2026 World Cup matches and trying North American fare — all behind a profile photo of Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo.

Over the past few weeks, he's gained tens of thousands of followers as he's traveled through the states and into Canada.

His most recent stop was in Michigan on June 22 after a weekend in Toronto, where he sampled poutine, took a boat tour up to Niagara Falls and cheered in the stands at BMO Field during Germany's matchup against the Ivory Coast.

Yinzers suggest Pittsburgh experiences for viral soccer influencer during World Cup

On X and Reddit, Pittsburghers suggested places FreddyLA7 should visit and food he should try in Pittsburgh. The top recommendations were attending a Pittsburgh Pirates Game and eating a Primanti Bros. sandwich.

"Definitely PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pirates will have home games all week. Best ballpark in baseball," said @MLBcathedrals on X.

Reddit user sjbeats thought Kennywood would be a unique experience, saying, "we were just at bites and pints at kennywood yesterday and i remarked to my friends: the world cup tourist could not comprehend eating 15 food samples from Greece, Germany, France, South Korea, Mexico and more, plus bacon cheese fries and an ice cream cone dipped in chocolate… along with 6 free refills of mountain dew, all while riding roller coasters and walking through things like Noah’s Arc, the '9 time award winning Best Walk-Through attraction.'"

On X, @amos_meyers had all bases covered with recommendations for quieter attractions and busier locales.

"Pittsburgh - schenely botanical gardens, pirates game, primanti brothers, south side for a wild night out (highest bars per capita in a zip code last I heard)," @amos_meyers said.

Where to watch June 23 World Cup games

• Group K: Portugal vs Uzbekistan, 1 p.m. ET on Fox at NRG Stadium in Houston
• Group L: England vs Ghana, 4 p.m. ET on Fox at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts
• Group L: Panama vs Croatia, 7 p.m. ET on Fox at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario
• Group K: Colombia vs DR Congo, 10 p.m. ET on FS1 at Estadio Akron in Zapopan, Jalisco

Finch Walker is the Pittsburgh Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Walker at [email protected]. Instagram: @finchwalker_. X: @_finchwalker.