How the World Cup kickstarted Boston’s dating scene again: ‘It’s so refreshing’ | OneFootball

Single and ready to mingle this summer? You might want to pay a visit to Boston.

That’s because the FIFA World Cup has rejuvenated the city’s dating scene, The Boston Globe reports. As fans gather in local bars and bond over their shared love for their favorite teams, Boston residents have said that more people seem willing to put themselves out there.

Kayla Rose, a 30-year-old resident of Boston’s Seaport neighborhood, told the Globe she saw a social shift after the COVID-19 pandemic - but now, things are turning around, in part thanks to the tournament.

“I feel like pre-COVID I would expect to like talk to guys at bars,” she said. “After COVID, I don’t know if some people’s social skills are lost...Being able to just, like, talk with someone. It’s so refreshing.”

Joe Andreazi, 40, also told the newspaper that many Bostonians seem “very shy and to themselves,” but more people have come out of their shells since the World Cup kicked off earlier this month.

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The FIFA World Cup has rejuvenated the Boston’s dating scene, according to a new report, as thousands of fans from across the globe flock to the city (Getty Images)

“You have a jersey on, people comment on it, and you kind of talk and stuff,” he added.

Shannon Knight, a 27-year-old resident of the Boston suburb Mansfield, added that she’s “not even attracted to American guys anymore” after thousands of Scottish visitors made their way to Boston this month to support their team at Gillette Stadium.

“It’s like night and day compared to American guys,” Knight told the Globe.

One Glaswegian visiting the city, Gully Singh, told the Globe: “They’re a bit smitten with the men and the kilts and the beards, and the idea of an outsider coming in and just sort of sweeping them off their feet.”

Social media lit up with videos of Scotland’s Tartan Army flooding Boston’s streets and marching to Fenway Park with bagpipes and in kilts earlier this month. Several local bars also reported running out of beer and ordering last-minute shipments as fans drank the wells dry during the games.

Paul Morris, an employee at Boston’s White Bull Tavern, told NBC Boston earlier this month: “The fans have been unbelievable. They're great — fun, drinking, partying, having a great time." He added that the bar “ran out of everything” during the games.

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Scotland’s Tartan Army left a lasting impression on Boston (PA)

Boston has already hosted five of its seven World Cup games, with the sixth scheduled for Monday evening. Gillette Stadium’s last game, a quarter-final match, is set for July 9.

Millions of visitors are making their way to the U.S., Canada and Mexico this summer for the World Cup. The U.S. is hosting more than 70 games, including the highly anticipated final match, set for July 19 at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.