My name is Jake Ritter and as you can tell from the photo, I love football (also known as soccer on this side of the pond). While that wouldn't exactly make me stand out in most countries, it's a more unique personality trait in the land of the free and home of the Florida Man. While my love for the world's game originates from my continued recreational career as a moderately insane goalkeeper (insanity being a pre-requisite to play the position), I soon found a place in the stands; rooting for my club team, NYCFC, and the US national teams.

 

In 2021, my life as a soccer fan began to evolve. As we were all eager to explore places beyond our front doors after a year in seclusion thanks to COVID-19, I took the first step in becoming a soccer tourist by receiving a map of the world along with soccer ball push pins to put in each country I watched a match in. Ultimately, my goal is to watch a football match in every country I visit. Creating this blog means that I achieved my first goal of enjoying this beautiful game abroad.

 

Now, it's all about maintaining this momentum and writing about my experiences. To stay up-to-date with my travels, check out my interactive map where you can read about each soccer-related adventure. While I won't be able to jet set around the world on a regular basis (there's always retirement for that I suppose), I can't wait to fill up my football passport in the years to come. 

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Stay Tuned!

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Jake