I have watched a lot of soccer in my life so I know a bit about how fans of the sport behave. They can be quite rowdy. When the stakes are high in a match, some supporters tend to be downright obnoxious.

My family and I were at Philadelphia Stadium last Saturday to watch Ghana’s final group match against Croatia in this year’s FIFA World Cup. Both teams had already qualified for the round of 32 before kickoff, but there was still a lot to play for. Whoever won the game could top the group, place second, or third. The top teams in each of the 12 groups tend to get easier draws in the first knockout round.

I was quite pleasantly surprised to be in a stadium packed with thousands of Croatian fans, who were some of the politest people I have ever met. We sat in an area that had a lot of Croatian supporters. Their team scored the opening goal in the first half but Ghana tied the game in the second half. Usually, supporters of a team that has just conceded an equalizing goal would start to question every referee call that goes against their team. But there was nothing of the sort. A few minutes later, Croatia scored a second goal. Their fans naturally jubilated, but they did so in the same understated manner that they had displayed throughout the match.

Having been deeply impressed by what I had seen over those couple of hours, I spontaneously congratulated one of the Croatian fans on his team’s victory as we walked past him on our way out of the stadium. He was visibly happy, and he thanked me. My wife was surprised I did that, since we had been on the losing end. But she thought it was gracious.

Four days after the match, I heard a story on the NPR (National Public Radio) Morning Edition program that validated the impression I had formed about the Croatian fans. According to the host, a newlywed American couple and their guests were having their photos taken along Broad Street, which is one of Philadelphia’s most iconic boulevards. A bunch of Croatian fans, who had just watched their national team play, joined in on the fun. The couple is said to have loved the atmosphere it created, and later expressed their appreciation during the wedding reception.

There was something even nicer. The NPR host said that the Croatian fans decided to raise funds to send the couple on a honeymoon in Croatia. That brought a big smile to my face. With the world filled with so much negativity at the moment, it was wonderfully refreshing to see and hear that about such polite and obviously kind people.

During my student days in the Soviet Union, Croatia was part of Yugoslavia. I did not visit the country but since Croatia became an independent nation in 1991, I have heard many good things about it. It is known to be stunningly beautiful. I have had it on my list of places to visit for several years.

What I observed in Philadelphia last Saturday, and the story I heard later on NPR, have inspired me to plan a trip to Croatia in the near future.