Everyone agrees that soccer or football is the most touching sport of all. We can take the words of the commentator Peter Drury about Messi in the 2022 World Cup.

“The little boy from Rosario, Argentina, on behalf of every little boy wearing his shirt… Messi has conquered his final pick. Leonel Messi has shaken hands with paradise. He climbs into a galaxy of his own…”  

These words have rumbled the entire earth and have entered every heart. We can listen to the chants of South American stadiums all the way across the Atlantic to the heart of Europe. That is the power of football: conquering hearts, breaking barriers, and uniting people. Every country has its own culture, and football does, from the “Barras Bravas” to the “BVB.” Each has its own traditions, chants, way of supporting its favorite team, and so on.  

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The Role of Football Fans in the Sport

Fans can help or make their team perform badly. We can see an example of Messi and the fans of Argentina after he lost the World Cup of 2018. The team was under constant fire from the press and fans, making them stressed and affecting their performance. Nevertheless, that attitude changed by 2022, when every Argentinian went to support the team.

In many countries, football goes beyond just a hobby — it has become a way of life. Argentina is one of the cases where people pay their respects to Maradona, Messi, and even the family of Messi, and bring gifts to the house where he grew up in Rosario. This sport and their teams becomes a national symbol which it can be say, that in some way the teams and fandom become an ambassador of their country and national identity.

The teams and their fans both play an important role when it comes to the match. As we can remember, Argentinian fans were chanting during the penalties and playing psychological games with the opposite team; in this way, they distracted them and, in the end, changed the outcome of the penalty.

The passion that the fans create is sheer ecstasy, happiness, and love for their country and football team. If we speak about traditions, every country and team has its own. In Latin America, it performs “Banderazo”, a tradition where fans gather outside the stadiums, airports, and hotels, and cheer their team. In Europe, chants and massive banners are displaced in the stands, creating a unique atmosphere.

European Fan Cultures

The passion for football is extreme around Europe, and the Ultras Phenomenon is a great example. In countries like Italy, Spain, and Germany, the groups are known for their originals, loyalty to their clubs, many times wearing a strict dress code, face painting, tifos, chants, and pyrotechnic displays. Temas like Lazio, Borussia, Dortmund, and Sevilla take the 1st place in the energy these ultras provide.

If we move our eyes to the east, we will find that UK and English football clubs are synonymous with the country’s cultural identity. Football teams like Liverpool and Manchester United are prime examples of global influence and have a big following.  One of the upcoming teams, Arsenal, has had a tradition since the 1990s with the chant “Go West by the Village People.” Also, we can’t forget the naughty side that brings laughter, for example, “You’re supposed to be at home.” 

When we move to the Eternal City, also known as Rome, we can find teams such as Lazio, Roma, Milan Derby, etc. Making an explosive atmosphere of El Clasico, where fans prepare for the match weeks before the match.

South American Fan Cultures

When we talk about the teams in the New World across the pond, we will find vibrant passion like never seen before. As an example, we can take the welcoming of the Argentinian fans after winning the World Cup in 2022. There were so many fans on the street celebrating that the team couldn’t cross by bus and needed to take a helicopter to fly over the city. 

Not only for the national teams, the passion also goes to the local clubs like Boca Juniors, River Plate, Flamengo and Corinthians are the heart of the culture. The fans in Latin America are known as “Barras bravas”.

Loyalty is the key word that goes deep into Hispanic people in South American Football, like the Superclásico between Boca and River, where teenagers, kids, and adults go to see the match, even from outside the stadiums. Football in some countries is almost a religion where family, friends, and neighbors unite and watch the match while cooking “parrilladas or asados.”

African Fan Cultures

On the continent where life began, football runs deep in their hearts. Fans mix local traditions into their support, creating unique chants full of energy and playing instruments like the vuvuzela, making it a part of African football culture. The constant sounds of drums and singing fill stadiums and hearts and make teams perform better on the field. 

National pride is a core part of African Football culture, especially during worldwide tournaments such as the World Cup, where we see fans of Senegal, Egypt, and Nigeria in Qatar supporting their teams through fire and water without giving up. In the local arena, teams like Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs show the local culture and traditions of every country and village all across Africa.

Asian Fan Cultures

Moving our eyes to the Far East, we can find hearts full of love for football and different soccer cultures. Embarrassing their own culture of honor, organization, and traditions, Japan, or the country of The Rising Sun, is one of the best examples of fan culture. What is shown of upper respect not just for the rival team but for everyone is the discipline that fans and teams of Japan show. Staging massive clean-ups and gratitude after every match, where locker rooms and stadiums are left clean, with thank-you notes for the invitation. We could say it’s the ultimate show of respect for the other.

In the Korean Peninsula, this country has shown a genuine love for ultras in football, matching the same enthusiasm as their European counterparts, not using pyrotechnics but LED lights for celebration and supporting their local and national teams. In the World Cup, we saw fans crowding into the streets and stadiums to cheer their beloved teams.

We can’t forget that soccer reaches every corner of the planet. India and Southeast Asia is on rise, supporting maily teams as Liverpool and Man City, local teams are gaining a space in the local regions as favorite teams and showing their professionalism in football. 

Conclusion

Fans are more than just a group of people cheering for their favorite team — they are a family that reaches every corner, every house, every street, bringing communities together through a shared passion. Rituals and traditions are part of human beings, and we tie them to the things we love, making them unique and part of us.