A Nations League match between Belgium and Wales may not be the ideal first groundhopping experience, but it remains one of my favorite travel memories.

 

“HEY, THERE’S THE YANK!”

I heard the call over the gathering crowd in a thick Welsh accent somewhere between the Stade Roi Baudoin metro station and the nearest pub. Usually, getting called out as an American while abroad is no good, but this time, I was happy to be recognized. It turned out to be the group of Welsh soccer fans we met on the train from Amsterdam to Brussels that morning. It was good to see them, and it was good to see they were true to their word—they had indeed been drinking since they arrived.

I didn’t need long to pull the classic new-guy trick of “buy the next round of beers,” and soon we were catching up with our Welsh friends. They’d been following Wales during the Nations League matches, and tonight they’d be facing off against superior competition in Belgium. That didn’t matter a bit to these guys.

It doesn’t matter where you’re from; everyone loves an underdog. In their red bucket hats, with plenty of beers in hand, the Welsh fans were going to sing and cheer their hearts out, pulling for the upset.

Even though we’d be sitting amongst the Belgian faithful, I instantly loved the Welsh. They felt like my own friends back home, who happily root for underdogs hoping for a big break. The common threads of fandom, camaraderie, and the excitement of a big game transcend borders. That’s what I love about sports. That’s what turned me into an avid groundhopping globetrotter.

So what exactly is groundhopping?

There are a few definitions bandied about, but to me, it’s simply seeing a soccer match or other sporting event when you’re visiting somewhere new. Frankly, I’d argue that a visit to the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a groundhopping experience just as much as taking in a soccer match.

If you’re traveling and watching sports, you’re groundhopping. It can be for a team you love or a team you didn’t even know existed until you decided, “Well, shit, I’ll be in Brussels, so I may as well see if there’s any matches going on.”

Is a Nations League group-stage match between Belgium and Wales the best soccer match you’ll ever see? Probably not. But is it worth snagging some tickets, sharing a few beers, and rubbing elbows with other fans instead of other tourists? Oh, hell yes.

Groundhopping might now be my favorite way to experience a new place. But if you’re hesitant to try a little groundhopping of your own, read on, and I’ll show you why it’s definitely worth the effort.

Getting to the Stade Roi Baudoin with Welsh fans

Getting to the Stade Roi Baudoin is no problem from central Brussels. Use Google Maps or the Brussels transit site to figure out your path to the Houba-Brugmann stop, and you’re there. For our groundhopping experience, we jumped on the train at Brussels-Centraal in a relatively empty car.

This didn’t last long, as we began picking up more and more Welsh fans, who got rowdier and louder the closer we got to the stadium. My guess is that opposing supporters might have less favorable opinions on this, but all the buildup was totally new to me, and I couldn’t get enough of these wild men and women.

The Welsh supporters had us in tears. The highlight happened every time our train rolled to a stop at each metro station. As soon as the doors opened, some brave fan would jump off the train and slap a Wales sticker on whatever sign, bench, or random commuter they could before the train left.

Sometimes the sticker bandit would make it back on the train, and sometimes we’d have to pull him through the closing doors. All this took place to uproarious cheers and the singing of “SHEEP SHAGGING BASTARDS, WE KNOW WHO WE ARE.”

Frites, piss, and security lines

Exiting at the Houba-Brugmann station, it wasn’t hard to find a beer at a nearby pub, or to find more Welsh fans. As mentioned above, we wound up buying a round for our traveling companions from earlier in the day and wished their beloved Wales good luck in the match to come.

Soon we were walking past food trucks selling incredible-smelling frites and Welsh fans taking the piss (literally) in some bushes. If it wasn’t clear where their courage and bravado came from on the train ride, it was very apparent now as we approached the stadium.

Security was friendly and efficient at the turnstiles, and we were soon standing at the base of the Stade Roi Baudoin. The exterior is old and cobbled together over several renovations that took place a few too many years ago. There’s a brutalist brick feeling to the Roi Baudoin that makes you think more of a YMCA than a stadium that’s going to host Gareth Bale and Kevin De Bruyne. It’s worn out. Lived in.

Which is exactly the sort of old nonsense I love in a venue. Instead of “tear it down, build a new one and charge the taxpayers” like we get too often in America, it’s “Make do, we’ll see if we can’t scrounge up some money for new seats next decade.” Crappy stadiums build character, and they earn extra groundhopping experience points.

Groundhopping means good Belgian beer and goofy gift cards

We were in and quickly turned to the first order of business: beverages. It’s Belgium, and it’s soccer, so beer shouldn’t be hard to come by. It wasn’t, but it did require loading money onto a special charge card at one stand and then using that at another stand for beers.

It wasn’t a huge inconvenience, but just a bit annoying when you weren’t planning on leaving your unspent beer money in the Belgian FA fun bucks investment plan. This did give you some motivation to return and recycle your empty cups, as you would receive a credit back on the card to be used on more concessions.

The beer of the night was Jupiler, a perfect complement to the brisk weather. Soon it was time for player intros, so we scurried to our seats in Tribune 1.

The true meaning of “Obstructed View”

Arriving at our seats with a good pregame buzz, we started enjoying the buildup to the match. I was really digging the novelty of seeing brands I’d only previously seen during cycling races, like “Lotto” on a giant white floating hot dog… thing.

Our seats were confusingly marked “obstructed view” when I bought them, even though they were in the front row of the overhang in Tribune 1. I pulled the trigger anyway but couldn’t find any reliable accounts of what this “obstructed view” might actually be (hence my writing this).

When we got to our seats, we discovered that “obstructed view” meant the safety railing was placed perfectly at eye level when seated. One more quirk of an old football ground. No matter, it didn’t really mess up our view; we just had to dodge a few bars and railings. For your own groundhopping experience, know that obstructed view seats might be bad, but they also might give you an affordable yet impressive view like these did.

A track circled the field, and the brutalist architecture and lighting felt straight out of an ’80s movie. Add in the Atomium sculpture peeking over the stadium roof, and the whole place felt a bit like a Saturday afternoon movie set.

Watching on TV is great, but seeing superstars live is worth the trip

The whistle blew, and the match was underway. Even in a competition that wasn’t their top priority, the quality and skill of these players is something you can’t fully appreciate through a screen. And although the stadium wasn’t nearly full, the passion and volume of both the Belgian fans and their Welsh counterparts was on display for all 90 minutes plus.

Until this groundhopping experience, my only exposure to true world-class soccer was seeing a preseason friendly between my beloved Manchester United and Sporting KC in the U.S. Finally seeing a real competitive match featuring the likes of Kevin De Bruyne slotting home perfect goals and Eden Hazard delivering pinpoint passes was incredible.

If you’re the type that’s up early on weekends to watch international soccer, you owe it to yourself to do some groundhopping at an actual top-flight match. Whether it’s a club matchup or an international competition, it’s worth your time.

The best part of any groundhopping trip: getting to know fellow fans in the grandstand

When you’re watching your favorite team, you tend to be fully locked into the match. But when you’re groundhopping just for the fun of it, you’re freed up to experience the game, the stadium, the atmosphere, and your fellow fans in a much more tangible way.

For me, this meant helping a lovely couple from Brussels take a family photo commemorating their son’s first-ever match! Here I was, groundhopping, and I inadvertently helped someone else make a memory they’ll hold onto forever.

We talked more and more between goals. We chatted about how Belgium’s current golden generation was on their way out but could maybe put together one more World Cup run (spoiler: they couldn’t after all). We also discussed how America and Belgium differ but share many things in common, like a love of soccer, beer, and frites.

I really enjoyed the contrast between our rowdy pregame with the Wales fans and this laid-back moment, simply chatting with our new Belgian friends. I only wish I’d gotten his contact info. Guillaume, if you ever read this, your friend Sam says hi!

An odd Choice for my first groundhopping experience, but I’m all the better for it

Walking away from a 2-1 Belgium win with the home fans felt great. The cool night air and the buzz from those beautiful Belgian beers had me floating through the crowd as we made our way to the train station.

From that moment on, I decided I’d look for every opportunity I could to do a bit of groundhopping on future trips. It won’t always be soccer, but I’m confident it will always be worthwhile. Groundhopping is an easy way to truly connect with the local culture, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to any traveling sports fan.

I guarantee the match won’t be what you remember most about groundhopping. It’s the chance to take in something familiar in unfamiliar surroundings, connecting with others over a shared passion that will stick with you.

That, and the Wales fans taking a leak in the bushes.

So what do you think? Have you ever attended a sporting event far from home? Will you be adding in some groundhopping to your next trip? Let me know in the comments!

Pin this post for later