Strange Moments at the World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is now in the knockout stages. This tournament is not just the biggest in football history but also filled with strange moments. It has shown amazing fan actions, surprising results, emotional scenes, and questionable calls.

Personally, I am in the US and Canada, two of the three North American hosts. I enjoy watching live global games here, something I often take for granted.

I am not a fan of replays. I doubt I would have followed the games closely if I were at home in Nigeria. The five or six-hour time gap with the US, Canada, or Mexico would mean watching replays, missing games played at odd hours, or watching with red, sleepy eyes.

Bafana's Pride

Some unusual moments have caught my eye during the World Cup. South Africa’s team, Bafana Bafana, gave the country pride. Many Africans felt joy seeing them reach the knockout stage with a stunning last-minute 1-0 win over South Korea. This was a last group stage match that could have ended in a draw or worse.

This was Bafana’s best performance since 2002 when they first qualified for the World Cup, even better than their 2010 record when they hosted the event and finished third in their group.

But after chatting with friends and looking at social media posts, I found that the team’s success did not bring a shared sense of joy across the continent. Recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa overshadowed their achievements.

Anger and Frustration

Fans wanted Bafana to leave the tournament quickly as a “payback” for the attacks on immigrants from other African nations. On June 28, for example, @Son_of_Laikipa tweeted a video of a wild party, saying, “South Africa are out of the World Cup, they can now rush home to protect their jobs.” Nigerian actor Charles Awurum also mocked Bafana online, and @PopBase tweeted, “Africa is happy.”

Many, especially Nigerian fans, seemed to enjoy this misfortune. They did not care that the joke was on Nigeria. Fans in Nigerian jerseys faced taunts everywhere in North America like, “When is Nigeria playing?” Nigeria did not qualify.

Soft Power from Iran

The feelings toward Iran were different. There was worry if their national team would show up because of the US-Israel war in the country. But despite these challenges, Iran did not lose any match in the group stages.

Team Melli’s strength captured global attention, and their elimination just outside the top eight drew sympathy from around the world.

Funny Fan Moments

There have been lighter, strange moments too. One Canadian fan during the Canada vs South Africa game threw her phone in excitement during a Mexican wave. The phone crashed through a glass barrier and vanished in the stands, becoming a viral story.

While it is unclear if her phone was found, she might have felt better with Canada’s win. Besides the “surfing phone” incident, the World Cup has been full of dramatic scenes. There was the DRC Congo “statue fan” who stood still during matches and went viral, and the famous “Merlin the Duck,” Mexico’s unofficial mascot. A Cape Verdean fan even celebrated with live goats, claiming that players from his island were the real GOATs of the World Cup.

The followers of Cape Verde’s goalkeeper, Josimar Jose Evora Dias, known as Vozinha, grew from 50,000 before the tournament to 17.5 million, a social media sensation!

If the Mexican wave has fans moving like water, Norway’s Viking Row has them moving like a boat. Fans sit or stand in lines rowing together like a Viking longboat, shouting, “Ro!” FIFA called the Viking Row and France’s clapping “two of the most unique supporter traditions” in the World Cup.

Surprising Red Cards

The matches have also had their unusual moments. The opening game between hosts Mexico and South Africa had three red cards, the first time this has happened since 1930. But that was not the last time on-field refs and their VARs faced challenges.

The decision to disallow Germany’s extra-time goal against Paraguay, and the penalty awarded to Belgium against Senegal in extra time on July 1, will be major talking points long after this World Cup. And there are still about 22 games left to play as of July 2.

The opening stages had 48 teams and 12 groups, with a record 215 goals scored in the first stage. This is more than the previous full-tournament record of 172 goals in 64 matches during Qatar in 2022. By June 30, five million fans had watched games live in stadiums.

Respect in Defeat

Japan’s cleanup at the NRG Stadium in Houston after their 2-1 loss to Brazil caught many people’s eyes. Japanese fans stayed behind with blue trash bags to clean their area. This tradition first gained attention in France in 1998.

Teams, players, and coaches have also had their moments. After their win over the Netherlands, the Moroccan team tossed their coach in the air in his suit and tie and then performed the sujood in front of their excited fans.

Canada’s coach, Jesse Marsch, has also drawn attention with his on-field team talks. He was caught on live TV calling his players “Canadian heroes” and told them their performance could change lives. It felt more like a private moment than a public speech, especially when he told Stephen Eusaquio that his late parents were “looking down” on him.

More Surprises Ahead

With over two weeks of football still to go before the finals, FIFA president Giovanni Vincenzo Infantino must be happy with the event’s success so far. Many had doubts about whether his close ties with US President Donald Trump could spoil the games.

The tournament has given us many stories at once: great football, big surprises, touching human moments, and exciting fan culture. There are real signs of a shift in the global balance of the game. It feels less like an event dominated by a few big teams and more like a celebration of football’s growing global nature.