Whakatāne football enthusiast Liam Dooley is living out a lifelong dream as he follows the All Whites at the FIFA World Cup across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

A passionate football supporter since childhood, Dooley played the game before picking up the whistle and establishing himself as one of the Bay of Plenty’s leading referees.

Now he has swapped officiating duties for the role of supporter, joining thousands of Kiwi fans backing New Zealand on football’s biggest stage.

“It’s been a dream of mine to attend a World Cup and it’s everything I imagined and better,” Dooley said.

“It’s such a cool atmosphere with the whole world here supporting their teams. It’s basically a giant party celebrating football, with every corner of the globe represented.”

Since arriving in North America, Dooley has travelled through Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, taking in the football and the culture.

“Canada has probably been my favourite so far. Vancouver has really embraced the tournament and the atmosphere has been fantastic.”

Dooley has already attended New Zealand’s matches against Iran and Egypt and is preparing for a crucial clash against Belgium tomorrow morning New Zealand time, with the All Whites needing a win to keep their World Cup campaign alive.

“The boys are playing well and, for New Zealand, we’ve actually scored some goals, so there’s been plenty to celebrate,” he said.

“We’ve got a big opportunity to go through. We just have to beat Belgium, so bring it on.”

One of the highlights of the trip has been sharing the experience with fellow Kiwi supporters.

Travelling with a group of around 20 fans, Dooley has journeyed from Los Angeles to Vancouver by train and bus, turning the World Cup into a full football tour.

“There are heaps of Kiwis over here, which has been awesome,” he said.

“We started with the first game in LA and travelled all the way up to Vancouver together.

“We took the Amtrak and buses, stopping in a few cities along the way. It’s been a proper tour.”

The passionate support from New Zealand fans has also left a lasting impression.

“For the Egypt game, there were thousands of Kiwis marching to the stadium and we had a wall of white in one section,” Dooley said.

“We sang and chanted all game and when the goal went in it was absolute scenes. Those are memories that will stay with me forever.”

Dooley said meeting supporters from around the world had been another memorable aspect of the tournament.

“The Egyptian fans were great fun and it’s always good running into Aussies because we’re both underdogs and tend to support each other,” he laughed.

Dooley has also enjoyed telling people about his hometown, although explaining where Whakatāne is has occasionally proved challenging.

“People sometimes think you’re swearing at them when you first say Whakatāne,” he joked.

“Then they ask if it’s near Auckland. I tell them it’s a beautiful place, with Ōhope Beach just over the hill, and a peaceful place to grow up.”

For now, however, his focus remains firmly on the All Whites and the hope of extending what has already been the trip of a lifetime.

“We hope to go even bigger for Belgium because the boys are going to need all the help they can get.”