Learn more about why Europe is crazy for soccer at these locales

When the final whistle blows following the fateful match set for July 19, we’ll know which country has won the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With soccer/football having served as the backdrop – or perhaps the centerpiece – to our nocturnal activities over the past five weeks, some might find it difficult to shake loose their football fever right away. But with the beautiful game so heavily engrained in European culture, there’s no need. These places and activities are bound to keep a connection to what’s likely the world’s favorite sport alive a little longer:

Naples, Italy: The legendary Argentinian player Diego Maradona played for the city’s home team, S.C.C. Napoli, from 1984 to 1981, and his presence continues to loom large throughout the city. On Via Emanuele de Deo, 46, in the Quartieri Spagnoli neighborhood, giant murals of this local hero with an almost saintly status are splashed across the walls, while other memorabilia takes up space in a makeshift shrine below. At Vico Cariati 58, one finds the Museo Maradona, a space brimming with many personal items donated by the Vignati family, close friends with the famous footballer during his time in Naples. Online tickets for a guided museum visit go for 10 euros for adults; entry for children ages 5-14 cost 5 euros. Online: museomaradona.com

London, England: The Tottenham Hotspur F. C. is a premier-league team based in North London. Its home stadium, the third-largest football stadium in England and the largest club ground in London, also plays host to the NFL International Series games. The multi-purpose stadium, completed in 2019, can be experienced by means of the “Dare Skywalk,” in which visitors ascend to its rooftop and cross a glass walkway to access a space high above the goal line. From this lofty 153-foot height, the tour-goers are treated to panoramic views of the London skyline and an up-close look at a giant cockerel, the team’s mascot. The cost of the ascent is 29 UK pounds (around $39). The adrenalin level of the tour can be upped by purchasing “The Edge,” a controlled drop down a rope and to the ground, for an additional 10 pounds. Online: tinyurl.com/vh799s65

Dortmund, Germany: Directly across from the city’s main train station is found the Deutsches Fussball Museum, or German Football Museum, a national museum dedicated to the sport at all levels, from club football to the Bundesliga to the German National Team. Some 1,600 items, from jerseys to trophies to balls, are on display in this highly interactive, family-friendly space. The visit begins with a walk through the player’s tunnel to reach a re-creation of the playing field in Bern, Switzerland, where West Germany secured an unexpected World Cup victory over Hungary in 1954. Statues of the team members and the original ball from the match referred to as the “Miracle of Bern,” the first of Germany’s four World Cup titles, bring this achievement to life. In the museum’s Hall of Fame, the stories of the greatest names in Germany’s football history are retold. A 3D and a 360-degree cinema, exhibition about women’s football, timed dribble course and commentator’s cabin are just a few of the many other features of this museum. Adult entry costs 25 euros for adults, 19 euros for children ages 6-14, and is free for visitors age five and under. Online: fussballmuseum.de

Add context to a visit to Dortmund by tacking on a visit to BORUSSEUM – Das Borussia-Dortmund-Museum. This museum dedicated to the Bundesliga team Borussia Dortmund, often abbreviated as BVB, is housed in the Signal Iduna Park, the team’s home stadium. The items displayed blend the club’s rich football history with its passionate fan culture. In addition to exhibits tracing the team’s ups and downs chronologically, BVB fans can visit a reconstructed model of the “Yellow Wall,” the stadium’s famed south tribune. This standing-room-only space accommodates more than 24,000 fans. A museum visit costs 9 euros for adults and 7 euros for young visitors. Online: tinyurl.com/yjzwc923

Care to experience the “Yellow Wall” firsthand? South tribune tickets to a family-oriented, friendly match against AS Roma on Aug. 15 were available for 10 euros at the time of this writing. Online: bvb.de

Kaiserslautern, Germany: The name Fritz Walter will immediately ring a bell to many residents of the Kaiserslautern area, as the football stadium towering high over the city is named in his honor. But fewer know much about the man himself. Friedrich “Fritz” Walter, born in Kaiserslautern on Oct. 31, 1920, played for his hometown team, the Red Devils, between 1937 and 1959, scoring 372 goals in 411 appearances. It was the only team he ever played for. Walter also captained Germany’s national team 30 times between 1951 and 1956. Within the span of his long career, he served in the army and was held as a prisoner of war in Romania in 1945; being recognized as a footballer is credited to having saved him from being sent to a Siberian gulag. Both on and off the pitch, Walter was known for his humility, loyalty and determination. This giant of German football, who passed on June 17, 2002, has found his final resting place in the Hauptfriedhof Kaiserslautern, the cemetery just across the street from Kleber Kaserne. Buried next to his wife Italia, the grave, featuring a photograph of the pair and a statue often bedecked with a FC Kaiserslautern scarf, is a place of pilgrimage for team fans and admirers of Walter specifically. Online: tinyurl.com/5n76mxpe