A Cork student enjoying a summer in Boston has become one of the most talked-about faces of the FIFA World Cup after television cameras picked him out in a crowd of Norwegian supporters during Norway’s recent victory over Iraq.
Shane Kingston, a 22-year-old from Bawnahow near Skibbereen, found himself at the centre of a social media frenzy after viewers spotted him proudly wearing a Cork jersey among thousands of Norway fans at the match.
Speaking to All About Cork, Shane said he had no idea his image had gone viral until hours after the game had finished.
“I didn’t know until hours after the match,” he explained. “My phone actually ran out of charge after the game and it took a while to get home. People started texting me saying my photo was everywhere, but I thought they were taking the mick out of me at first.”
Shane is currently spending the summer in Boston on a J-1 visa and decided to take advantage of the unique opportunity to attend a World Cup match while the tournament is taking place across the United States.
“It was my first World Cup game,” he said. “I just decided one day that I’d go if there were tickets available.”
The match between Norway and Iraq wasn’t cheap, however.
“I paid $345 for the ticket,” Shane said. “It was the cheapest one I could get.”
Despite the hefty price tag, he says it was worth every cent.
“I just wanted to go to a World Cup game. There were five goals in the match as well, so there was plenty of action.”
The game was played outside Boston city centre, requiring a 45-minute journey to the stadium. Once there, Shane found himself surrounded by Norway supporters and decided to blend in as best he could.
“I was sitting in with the Norway fans,” he laughed. “The Norway jerseys were about $130, so I said I’d throw on the Cork jersey and blend in with them.”
The decision proved to be a memorable one.
Television cameras briefly focused on Shane in the crowd, and screenshots quickly began circulating online as football fans tried to identify the mystery Cork supporter cheering on Erling Haaland and Norway.
Back home in West Cork, people were determined to figure out exactly who he was.
While the attention has been entertaining, Shane admits the sudden recognition feels a little strange.
“It’s all a bit of a shock to be honest,” he said. “I don’t really feel it over here in Boston. It’s mostly just people texting me the whole time.”
Away from his unexpected World Cup fame, Shane recently graduated from University College Cork, where he studied Physics. He also plays football with Tadhg MacCarthaigh GAA Club.
For now, he’s enjoying life in Boston and making the most of his American adventure.
Alongside work commitments, he’s hoping to attend more World Cup events during the summer and perhaps do some travelling before eventually returning home.
“There are more games on and there are fan zones as well,” he said. “I’ll probably go to some of those and do a bit of travelling too.”
As for whether America could become a permanent home in the future, Shane isn’t ruling anything out.
“I do like life in America,” he admitted. “But I’d like to get back home and play football as well, so I don’t know.”
For now, though, Shane Kingston can enjoy telling the story of how a simple decision to wear a Cork jersey to a World Cup match unexpectedly turned him into one of Cork’s most recognisable faces of the week.
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