DEARBORN  — Someone who is not well-versed in sports might think Dearborn is hosting an international summit. But the flags flying over the patios and roofs of the city’s cafes are not to welcome foreign diplomats. They are symptoms of “World Cup fever.”

The soccer world championship is the most popular sporting event in the world. The tournament started in Brazil on Thursday. Although Arab teams have not been historically successful at the competition, people in the Arab world hang flags of their favorite European or South American teams in a display of support.

Beirut, particularly, gets hit hard by World Cup fever. Flags are displayed on cars, balconies and storefronts everywhere in the Lebanese capital. Some fans even represent their favorite soccer teams and raise their flags at political rallies.

Arab Americans and other immigrants have brought their passion for soccer from their old countries to the new world. Hence, the cafes and hookah lounges on Warren Avenue are wearing the colors of the World Cup.

But the manager of X-Hale Hookah, a smoke shop that sells flags for the tournament, says the interest in the cup here does not compare to the “obsession” with it in Lebanon. 

“Here people might buy a flag because it is cool, but in Lebanon, they know the name and position of every player on the team, even on the bench,” said Ahmad Khatib. “It’s a million times different.”

Khatib said Mexican flags have been popular because of the large Mexican American community in the area. Brazil, Portugal and Argentina are the most popular flags among Arab Americans, he added.

“I tell customers they also have to buy the American flag to show their patriotism,” he joked. “It’s working. We’ve been selling a lot of American flags.”

The U.S. National Team is drawn in the so-called “group of death,” with three-times champions Germany; Portugal— which has Christiano Ronaldo, who won the best player in the world award this year; and African powerhouse Ghana.

The top two teams from each group proceeds to the round of 16.

Algeria is the only Arab team in the tournament. But it is common to see Lebanese, Iraqi and Yemeni flags among those participating in the world cup at Dearborn cafes. 

“Lebanon is not in the world cup, but we’re still Lebanese,” said Ali Fawaz, a manager at Sky Lounge, commenting on the Lebanese flag on the cafe’s patio.

Hussein Mokahal, a manager at Signature cafe, said the fans “can’t wait” for the world cup to start.

“People are excited. Soccer is becoming really popular here,” he added.

Sal Ventura, the owner of Sal’s Pizza & Cafe in Dearborn, has geared up his restaurant for the world cup. Over the roof of the restaurant 32 flags fly, representing each of the participating nations.

Inside the pizzeria, white, green and red ribbons across the ceiling draw out the Italian flag, with four hanging golden stars that symbolize the number of world cups won by Italy.

Ventura said he emigrated from Italy to the United States when he was 12-years-old, shortly after 1970 World Cup. The first World Cup he watched in America was the 1974 tournament in Germany. There was no satellite televisions to air the game from Europe at that time, so he had to go to Detroit’s Olympia Auditorium, then-home of the Red Wings, to watch the game live on a giant screen. The admission fee was $15 ($72 in today’s currency), according to Ventura. 

It wasn’t until the late 1970’s that Ventura could watch the domestic Italian soccer league. He recalls driving to Rochester Hills or Windsor, Canada, where certain clubs and bars aired the games.

In 1982, Italy won the World Cup in Spain. Ventura watched the final against Germany at the Italian American Club in Dearborn before going to celebrate with the Italian community in Windsor.

“Germans in Windsor had brought 8,000 bottles of champagne to celebrate,” Ventura said. “When they lost, they smashed them against the wall.” 

Ventura and his brother appeared on the cover of the Detroit Free Press the following day. They were wearing Italian jerseys and holding a flag in celebration. The Italian American entrepreneur proudly displays the plate of that front page in his restaurant. 

When Italy reached the World Cup finals against France in 2006, the two teams tied at 1-1 and penalty kicks decided which would be the world champion. 

Ventura said it was too stressful for him to watch the tie-breaking penalties, so he had to step outside. “I just waited for the screams,” he said. “It was crazy when Italy won. I knew since day one we had a team that could win the world cup.”

Ventura described Dearborn as a “hardcore soccer city.” 

“Every World Cup, more and more people are putting up their flags and cheering for their favorite teams,” he said. “It makes the World Cup more fun. I love it.”

He added that it pleases him when Arab Americans support the Italian national team.

“Being in the United States, you wish you were there where the action is happening, but when there is a big game and you get a mixed crowd of fans to watch it, it is a lot of fun,” he said. “We can create the action here. It is great to be in Dearborn.”

Ventura said he has seen soccer grow in popularity against the odds in the United States. “Nobody believed in soccer. My relatives would say, ‘in soccer you just follow the ball around,'” he said. “Now all of their children play soccer.”

Soccer is known as football outside of the United States and Canada. Ventura argues that soccer is the real football because it is played by foot. “American football is throw ball,” he said. 

According to Ventura, there are about 10,000 Italian Americans in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights. He said soccer brings the community together.

Ventura said being an Italian American allows him to root for two teams in the World Cup. Although the United States is not a powerhouse in soccer, Ventura said the U.S. national team can win the world championship within 20 years.

“Soccer is the universal language,” he said. 

Civil rights attorney Shareef Akeel, who is the president of Dearborn Sports Enterprise, which owns Michigan Stars, a club that plays at the highest amateur level, said soccer can “show the beauty of Dearborn.”

“Soccer unites people and unites communities,” he said. “Nothing can bring people together better than sports. In the World Cup, people in Lebanon, the United States or Nigeria can see a goal and recognize that it is a beautiful game.”

The World Cup started in 1930. It is held every four years. It was canceled twice during World War II, but since then, it has become the most watched sporting competition around the world. The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) currently has 202 members, all of which participate in the qualifying stages of the world cup.

However, FIFA has been facing allegations of corruption, and thousands are protesting in Brazil against the World Cup. They say the people are more worthy of the money that went into the stadia, which cost the South American nation billions of dollars.