By Lance Reynolds
Boston Herald
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to follow and signup for notifications!
BOSTON — A Boston police officer saw his opportunity to showcase his soccer-playing past amid a sea of Americans mingling with the Tartan Army, and he made the most of it.
Sgt. Connor Hardy has become one of the faces of the World Cup, as the premier global soccer tournament gets underway at long last.
| DOWNLOAD:What Cops Want in 2026 survey results
“I saw a bunch of American fans with Scottish fans, just kicking around the ball,” the man of the day told the Herald, “and I just walked up to them, and I think they thought I was going to be the fun police and steal their ball.”
“In fact,” he added, “I ended up stealing their ball, but just kind of participating and having a little fun with them. They ended up loving it. It was fun.”
Scores of social media users who have seen the clip of Hardy’s interaction say this is what the World Cup is all about, as it brings people from all over the world together to share their passion for watching the best soccer players compete at the highest level.
“Complete anxiety,” Hardy said, laughing, when asked how it feels to have gone viral, “but it’s cool, it’s funny. It’s all in good fun, it’s a good showing for the city of Boston, just having everybody here — even the police are getting along with everyone. It’s just outstanding.”
The Boston Police Department shared the video — Hardy juggling the ball, surrounded by fans on all sides roaring in applause, and then doing a celebratory dance to complete the impressive sequence — just after 10 a.m. Saturday on X.
By evening, the department’s video, alone, had garnered over 550,000 views. Prominent accounts, like Barstool Sports and CBS News, also shared the clip, very likely putting it at over a million views.
“Community policing looks a bit different when the @FIFAWorldCup is in town!” the BPD stated in its post. “Our officers celebrated alongside fans, both international and local, during Day 1 of @FWC26Boston Fan Fest on City Hall Plaza!”
Hardy, who has been with the BPD since 2012, played soccer at Reading High School and St. Anselm College.
Around 3 p.m., when Hardy spoke with the Herald via phone, the sergeant’s awe of the moment was abundantly clear. During his Saturday shift at Fan Fest, he met First Minister of Scotland John Swinney.
“He wanted to take a picture with me because he knew who I was,” Hardy said of his interaction with Swinney. “That is pretty eye-opening, pretty shocking.”
The clip of Hardy also caught the eye of Nile Gardiner, an aide to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
“Ignore the doomsayers,” Gardiner stated in a post. “The World Cup is already proving to be a huge success in the United States.”
Another viral clip from City Hall Plaza, where the Fan Fest sold out its first two days, showed a Scotsman sliding down the famous Boston ‘Cop slide’ while playing the bagpipes.
The Tartan Army traveled to Foxboro in the evening to watch Scotland take on Haiti in Boston Stadium’s first match of the tournament.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu joined Haitian fans during a march that drew thousands across downtown streets in the early afternoon.
Hardy is taking in the moment.
“We get a feel from all of the other countries how big soccer is worldwide,” Hardy said, “as opposed to here with the Celtics, the Bruins, and when they win a championship, it’s so centralized, and everyone is a fan.”
“But now we are seeing other countries living it up,” he added, “and how much pride they take in their countries and their teams. For them to be able to share that with us, it has just been incredible.”
Trending
©2026 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at bostonherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Company News
