How a New Jersey town has struggled to embrace Morocco’s World Cup team

How a New Jersey town has struggled to embrace Morocco’s World Cup team Submitted by Azad Essa on Sat, 06/20/2026 - 17:32 Basking Ridge is hosting two giants of the game, but football fever has been slow to catch on its affluent 'bubble' Morocco's players at a training session during the 2026 World Cup at the Pingry School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, on 11 June 2026 (Mauro Pimental/AFP) Off Until the World Cup began in mid-June, Caroline Corley had never watched a football match. The 22-year-old graduate of Rutgers University says her interest piqued when she learned that both Brazil and Morocco, two powerhouses of football (or soccer in the US), would use her small hometown, Basking Ridge, as their base during the opening round of the tournament. She could hardly believe that this quiet community in central New Jersey, was set to play a part in an event of such global significance.