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By Alice Gibbs
Senior Reporter
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The German soccer fan behind a viral World Cup road trip across the United States has deleted his X account, saying the online response to his posts became “too toxic” and was “ruining the fun” following his team’s exit from the tournament.
Freddy—known online as @freddyla7—had drawn widespread attention over recent weeks by documenting a multi-city journey through North America, sharing upbeat videos and reactions from stops across the U.S. and Canada.
But in a series of Instagram Stories posted after deactivating his X account, Freddy said the experience of sharing the trip had changed significantly as his audience grew.
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“Too many people seem to have a problem with us having a genuinely good time here… this is ruining the fun a bit for us,” he wrote, adding that some users were “digging in my 22k posts” to resurface older content “with zero context to make me look like a bad person.”
Newsweek reached out to Freddy on Instagram for comment.
Freddy Will Make White House Visit: Tourism Envoy
Nick Adams, who serves as the Trump administration's special presidential envoy for tourism, said in a post on X that he arranged for German soccer fan Freddy to visit the White House despite what Adams described as efforts by critics to target and harass him on social media. Adams said Freddy deleted his social media accounts after facing online attacks but that the White House visit would move forward as planned.
In a statement, Adams defended Freddy's posts about his travels in the United States as nonpartisan and accused political opponents of attempting to discourage expressions of support for the country. Adams said he intervened to ensure the visit would proceed.
Adams said, "I lifted Freddy up and made sure their mob tactics would not win. The visit will go ahead as planned. America remains open for business and open to visitors who simply want to experience the greatest country on Earth. We will never let the mob dictate who gets to enjoy it."
Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday in an appearance on Fox News that "he would love to meet Freddy," but declined to comment on the White House visit.
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‘This Was The Plan All Along’
In his posts on Instagram, Freddy insisted that stepping back from X was not solely a reaction to criticism, but something he had planned before the tournament began.
“This was the plan all along even before we started the World Cup trip,” he said.
However, he also described growing frustration with how the trip had been interpreted online, particularly criticism over his reactions to American locations and confusion about whether it was his first time in the country.
“Some people are upset that it’s not our first time in the USA,” he wrote, explaining that while he had previously visited major cities like New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, “it was for us all our first time in the South.”
Freddy’s road trip had gained traction during the World Cup as part of a broader wave of soccer fans traveling across North America, with his content standing out for its focus on everyday experiences and reactions to U.S. culture.
Earlier coverage highlighted the appeal of the account’s “road trip vibe,” capturing everything from small-town stops to major tourist destinations.
The attention has drawn responses from across the spectrum—including NASA, U.S. politicians and high-profile celebrities—while online discussion even turned to the possibility of a White House visit.
The latest development underscores a familiar dynamic for viral creators: rapid audience growth can bring increased scrutiny alongside support, particularly during major global events like the World Cup.
Claims of Misinformation and Online Targeting
Freddy also addressed what he said were false posts circulating about him and his friends online, including fabricated images and claims questioning the authenticity of his account.
“Please don’t believe everything you see on the internet. Unfortunately some people are out there even fabricating photos and tweets… just to harm us,” he wrote.
His comments come as a wave of online scrutiny has grown around the account, with some users resurfacing older posts and others questioning whether the viral persona was genuine. Screenshots shared on X appear to show past tweets attributed to Freddy discussing race, while other widely viewed posts speculated that the account “has to be fake”—though these claims have not been independently verified.
At the same time, some users pushed back on the criticism, arguing the backlash reflected the pressures of going viral. “You can’t do anything cool on social media without miserable individuals tearing you down,” one user wrote.
The posts reflect a broader split in reaction online—ranging from support for the road trip content to attempts to scrutinize Freddy’s past activity—and suggest a shift in tone from the earlier days of the trip, when his content focused largely on enthusiasm for local culture, road trip moments and fan interactions.
Hitting Back at Money Claims
Another point of criticism Freddy pushed back on was the suggestion that the trip was driven by sponsorship or undisclosed advertising.
“I’ve genuinely made 0 cents from sponsorships… I haven’t [done any],” he said, adding that he had paid $1,200 to watch his team lose rather than accept sponsorship deals.
Freddy said he had declined multiple offers—including from hotels and sports-related opportunities—to preserve what he described as the authenticity of the road trip.
“We turned down so much money because we wanted the roadtrip to be normal and not seen like a sellout,” he wrote.
He said the only income generated from the trip came from X’s creator payouts.
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Continuing the Trip—Without X
Despite stepping away from X, Freddy indicated the road trip itself would continue, including plans to celebrate the Fourth of July and travel further south.
“We’re still gonna enjoy our time… our route now is Boston to Dallas… just not gonna update on Twitter anymore because it’s just too toxic over there,” he wrote.
He added that he plans to continue documenting the journey on Instagram instead, where he hopes for “a more positive atmosphere.”
“I’m really moved by all the messages… that’s why I decided to continue sharing the trip on here,” he said on Instagram, as people reached out following his decision to deactivate his X account.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Rebecca Flood and Emma Lee-Sang.
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