- Hyphenly by Immigrantly
- Posts
- The World According to FIFA
The World According to FIFA
Dear Hyphenly Readers,
The FIFA World Cup has brought a lot of attention to international trends, rivalries, and friendships. Even if you’re not usually a soccer fan, chances are you’ve heard some feel-good chants and songs from different countries, seen fashion trends evolve around jerseys, and observed the general excitement over soccer, whether in your favorite bar or at home.
An international sports tournament is exactly what the country needs right now.
While the past year has left people politically divided, the World Cup has showcased the beauty and power of diversity and inclusion. And although it’s been a rough start with reports of unfair immigration rules, ICE surveillance, and canceled visas, there’s also a lot to celebrate.
This creator sums up the radical joy of FIFA really well:
For this week’s edition of Hyphenly, we’ve rounded up our four favorite fan trends from the 2026 World Cup.
JAPAN STADIUM CLEANING
Supporters of Japanese sports teams have built a reputation for tidying stadiums before leaving a sporting event.
According to ESPN, Japan first played at a World Cup in 1998, in France, when their supporters were spotted tidying up the stadium before exiting. “Cleaning up at events like the World Cup is a way Japanese fans demonstrate pride in their way of life and share it with the rest of us,” Scott North, a professor of sociology at Osaka University, told the BBC.
Although this act has people praising the Japanese team, there’s also been a lot of discourse about the contribution of Japanese men’s labor in their households. According to Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data from 2021, Japanese women spend more than three hours per day on unpaid work, more than five times that of men.
CONGO’S LUMUMBA VEA
Michel Kuka Mboladinga is an essential part of the stands whenever the Democratic Republic of Congo plays a game.
Mboladinga rose to prominence at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco as he stood completely still in tribute to Congo’s first Prime Minister, who was assassinated by firing squad in 1961. Mboladinga raises his arm to strike a pose similar to one held by Lumumba in a statue of him in his country's capital, Kinshasa, dressed sharply in a colorful jacket and tie.
To learn more about the political machinations behind the 1961 assassination of Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba, check out the documentary, Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (2024).
BAGPIPES, BEER, AND BOSTON
An estimated 20,000 Scottish fans, known as the Tartan Army, went to support their team in Boston, and their adventures in the city have become viral.
While visiting the historic sites of the city, they found the “cop slide,” which became a meme after a police officer was seen tumbling down a children's slide in the playground of City Hall Plaza. Scottish fans went down the slides playing bagpipes (as they did all over the city!).
Most notably, Scottish fans caused bars all over the city to run out of beer and put traffic cones over statues. “You have been playing the bagpipes everywhere, you’ve been singing, you’ve been chanting, you have put traffic cones on the heads of all of our historic statues, which has been something to see,” said Senator Paul Feeney, declaring Boston and Glasgow “sister-cities.”
NEW FRIENDSHIPS AND OLD RIVALRIES
Although the World Cup is a sports competition with old rivalries on the field, it has also paved the way for heartwarming friendships.
And the friendship between Korea and Mexico has especially taken over the internet.
Mexican fans’ friendship with South Korea began in 2018 when Korea beat Germany 2-0, leading Mexico to qualify for the next round. From there, the phrase “coreano, hermano ya eres Mexicano,” meaning “Korean, brother, now you are Mexican,” was born. Mexican fans took over the South Korean embassy in Mexico City to chant for the champions and treated Korean diplomats like national heroes.
At the heart of it, the World Cup has shown us what it's like when countries come together to celebrate each other's cultures — and at Hyphenly we couldn't be happier.
If you want more news about FIFA, check out our podcast Sportly, where host Kavitha Davidson discusses more stories from the World Cup.
And this is just the beginning. Stay tuned for Part Two of our FIFA World Cup edition, coming soon!
Until next time,
Team Hyphenly
This newsletter was curated by Suhasini Patni.
Hyphenly curates the latest news, art, and businesses from immigrants around the world. Have a tip or story we should feature? We’d love to hear from you.
Visit us at www.immigrantlypod.com