ATLANTA — For 11-year-old Maya Tengere and her family, there was no stopping their excitement.
“We got here around 11 a.m. and we are staying 8 p.m. or later,” said Tengere, a U.S. fan.
They aren’t the only fans who spent the entire day at FIFA Fan Fest despite the oppressive heat.
“The humidity is what really gets you, but I think I will be fine,” said Juan Pena from Gwinnett County.
Gates opened at 11, but the lines started well before then. The heat couldn’t be ignored, even for those who came from across the pond.
“Very hot, that’s what I’m looking for a fan you know, bare boiling I’m telling you,” said England fan Mkyle.
“I live in Atlanta. I used to live in Congo as well so the heat doesn’t bother us,” said Ken Muteteke.
For the most part, fans were distracted by the excitement, the DJs and the unity.
“The fan fest tickets sold out, I wasn’t able to get in, a British fan came up and saw that I didn’t have a ticket he sent me one of his spare tickets. Its been amazing,” said Muteteke.
“The USA doesn’t play until 8, but I’m going to be here supporting all the countries that are the underdog, the Latin American countries or the African countries,” said Pena.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]