WARMINGTON: Freddy's excellent World Cup adventure includes poutine in Niagara Falls

· Toronto Sun

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This might have been Freddy’s biggest World Cup score yet.

Don’t be jealous, United States, but Freddy now has his Canadian street cred. Not only has the mysterious FIFA fan made it to Niagara Falls, but he has tried poutine, too.

Move over Taco Bell, What-a-Burger, Denny’s and Waffle House, it’s time to add some Canadian cuisine to this phantom influencer’s menu.

The enigmatic German soccer fan, whose anonymously chronicling of World Cup soccer games and famous travel sites has captured much attention and affection in the U.S., has promoted a lot of corporate chains.

This time it was a popular food truck by the Horseshoe Falls – one of many positioned at the Fan Zone by the Falls next to Queen Victoria Place. If you are looking for Freddy, perhaps look for a guy with a gravy and cheese stain on his Germany soccer jersey.

Scrawler promotes Niagara poutine places

Of course, he wasn’t the only one watching at that special fan area. There are not many places where you can watch the World Cup with the roaring thunder and mist of the falls being part of the experience.

While Niagara Falls has many great poutine places like Smoke’s Poutinerie, Potato Heads, Flying Saucer Restaurant and The Blind Pig Niagara, the Parkway Kitchen food truck inside the Fan Zone is equally famous for its version of the tasty Canuck delicacy enjoyed by tourists who are looking for some Canadiana.

The unique hoser experience did not seem to be lost on Freddy. On Sunday night, he posted to his 725,000-and-counting followers on X a video of him enjoying a poutine while sitting in the Niagara Falls Fan Zone to watch a game.

“First time trying Poutine, one of Canada‘s national dishes,” Freddy posted. “This has to be one of the nicest public viewing spots I‘ve ever been to. Right next to the Niagara Falls.”

The Falls thrilled to host Freddy

It is majestic there. The best waterfall in the world and the best french fries, cheese curds and gravy that people from around the world line up for.

Niagara Falls was thrilled to host Freddy and his friends, but Mayor Jim Diodati , who loves a good promotion or even pranking as much as any leader, told the Toronto Sun they have noticed a huge “bump” in tourists from around the world so far in the Falls – to see the sites and partake in the soccer.

“Watching the games with other fans in front of the Falls has an energy that has to be experienced,” said the mayor. “Next to actually being at a game, this is a true once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Freddy agrees.

Whether Freddy is part of a brilliant marketing campaign or an authentic, enthusiastic fan from Germany is almost becoming irrelevant because people are enjoying the travel blog and the positivity about the U.S. and now Canada, which with Mexico are receiving rave reviews for hosting the world’s biggest sporting event.

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FIFA fan remains anonymous

Concern about the cost to taxpayers has been put on hold for a bit and some happiness and fun has at least temporarily replaced it.

While there are many from Europe, Asia and Africa posting interesting content, Freddy’s X account has gotten the most attention so far. He has received a lot of generosity, from hotel upgrades to rescheduled flights to meeting celebrities, all while concealing his face in photos with a picture of soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo.

It means he can move around from town to town, country to country undetected with no one knowing who he is.

“We reached out to him on direct message,” said Niagara Parks Commission CEO David Adames, whose team has done a great job to make the World Cup come alive for visitors.

They, along with the hospitality industry there, want to ensure Freddy, his friends and every tourist are getting full value on a Niagara Falls experience.

Freddy, so far, has not responded to messages, but he’s doing OK getting around. His X feed shows he’s been to Clifton Hill, enjoyed a boat trip under the falls, the nightly fireworks and, of course, the food truck.

It’s all positive for Niagara Falls, which is used to welcoming up to 14 million visitors a year. Every one of them is important to Diodati and Adames, who are always trying to find ways to make the tourist experience better than it has been.

That includes making Freddy feel at home – even though no one is sure which poutine-eating tourist he was.

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