U.S. — The term "FIFA 15" refers to an online phenomenon where international visitors to the U.S. for the FIFA World Cup consume American food. The phrase is a reference to the "Freshman 15," which describes weight gain during the first year of college.

The phenomenon gained traction after German soccer fan @FreddyLA7 documented a road trip from Georgia to Texas visiting American chain restaurants. The fan posted content about visits to Raising Cane's, Taco Bell, Waffle House, Buc-ee's, Walmart, Wendy's, and Chili's.

Houston attorney Jimmy Ardoin commented on the fan's journey in a post on Threads: "He walked into a Buc-ee's and I genuinely think he saw the face of the divine. This man is experiencing America for the first time with the wonder of a newborn and the stamina of a Navy SEAL."

The Transportation Security Administration posted on Instagram: "Days since the last airport ranch incident: 0." Following this, Kraft released a limited-edition TSA-approved travel kit for ranch dressing.

Public diplomacy scholars Paul Rockower and Sam Chapple-Sokol popularized the terms "culinary diplomacy" and "gastrodiplomacy" in the early 2000s. Lucy Long, a folklorist at Bowling Green State University, coined the term "culinary tourism." Krishnendu Ray, a food studies professor at NYU and author of The Ethnic Restaurateur, also contributes to the academic discussion. A study published in Public Diplomacy Magazine found that over half of those surveyed said eating a country's cuisine leaves them with more positive feelings toward that country.