FAIRHOPE, Ala. (WKRG) – A German soccer fan who went viral on social media during a trip to the United States to see the World Cup is back on the Gulf Coast to visit what he calls his favorite city in America.
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He doesn’t show his face on social media, instead choosing to cover his face with a photo of Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo. But thousands of online fans followed Freddy, known as @FreddyLA7’s travels across the United States during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
After stops in Boston, D.C., New Orleans and more, Freddy declared he found his favorite place in America, right here in Fairhope, Alabama.
“He just felt that Fairhope was beautiful,” Fairhope City Council President, Jimmy Conyers, told News 5. “The flowers everywhere, the bay, the slow pace of life, the friendliness of people.”
Just months later, the German soccer fan is back on the Eastern Shore to enjoy the Fairhope experience.
One of their first stops was the Fairhope Soccer Club, where Freddy got a taste of soccer on the Eastern Shore.
“Soccer in Fairhope definitely continues to grow,” FSC Director of Coach Tito Rodriguez explained. “When you’re telling them about what we do and how we do it, it’s always neat because in different parts of the world, soccer usually pertains as a number one sport.”
Rodriguez said the Fairhope Soccer Club gave Freddy and his friends some merch to bring back home, explaining that he hopes that “they can take a little piece of us with them as they continue to travel or back home to Germany. And maybe get more people to come and check out the piece of our sweet home here.”
Then Freddy’s crew took a trip out on Mobile Bay with Eastern Shore Charter.
“They were very interested in going to see the sunset,” Rodriguez recalled.
In a social media post, Freddy also said he learned a little about the Auburn-Alabama football rivalry around here. And enjoyed the incredible views from the Grand Hotel in Point Clear.
The group wrapped up the trip with a special honor, a key to the city of Fairhope.
“I don’t think we hand those out to just anybody,” Conyers laughed.
“Seeing it through the eyes of somebody like Freddy and getting to see not just Fairhope, but really the entire United States through somebody like Freddy, you kind of realize sometimes in the daily hustle and bustle, you take things for granted that other people instantly see and recognize that this place is special,” he continued.
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So while his face remains a mystery, Freddy’s visit offers a fresh perspective on the little things that make communities like Fairhope so special.
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