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'Tears Of Happiness': One North Texan's Experience Covering The World Cup

Courtesy of Silvana Pagliuca
Al Dia reporter Silvana Pagliuca covering the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Friday is the rare off day in one of biggest sporting events on Earth.

The World Cup starts its Round of 16 this weekend, and one North Texan spent the last three weeks following soccer teams and fans across Russia.

Silvana Pagliuca, a reporter for Al Dia and The Dallas Morning News, talked about her experience in Russia with KERA’s Rick Holter for this week’s Friday Conversation.

Interview Highlights

On what being at the World Cup meant

As a soccer fan, I've been crying a lot. Tears of happiness, I can't believe I was at a World Cup. I got something from this: the next World Cup, I need to be there. It's just not the same to be in a different country when another country is in the middle of this huge party. There is no other place to be when the World Cup is being played.

On seeing her native Argentina play

To be at the Spartak Stadium in Northern Moscow, to see the Argentina National Team in a World Cup, and to be able to be there, it was fantastic. To see all my countrymen celebrating and chanting for my team. Then, to hear the national anthem, it gave me goosebumps.

On North Texas’ chances at hosting games in 2026 

Dallas is very well ranked on the last FIFA evaluation report. Dallas is even one of the candidates to host the finals, so I think this is all thanks to the AT&T Stadium. Not really Dallas, right? Arlington, but I think we have the infrastructure. There are so many things we need to improve, like transportation. In Moscow, what I saw, was right next to each stadium you will have a metro station. I think that's something we need to improve, but we have time.

Read Pagliuca's World Cup coverage here.

Gus Contreras is a digital producer and reporter at KERA News. Gus produces the local All Things Considered segment and reports on a variety of topics from, sports to immigration. He was an intern and production assistant for All Things Considered in Washington D.C.
Rick Holter was KERA's vice president of news. He oversaw news coverage on all of KERA's platforms – radio, digital and television. Under his leadership, KERA News earned more than 200 local, regional and national awards, including the station's first two national Edward R. Murrow Awards. He and the KERA News staff were also part of NPR's Ebola-coverage team that won a George Foster Peabody Award, broadcasting's highest honor.