The football hasn't even hit its stride yet, and somehow the fans are already the story. A week into the 2026 World Cup and the moments off the pitch are threatening to outshine everything on it.
Scotland vs. Boston's beer supply (Scotland won)
The Tartan Army descended on Boston for Group C's opener between Scotland and Haiti, and local bar owners were simply not ready. Tennent's lager — an institution back home — ran out across the city. Distributors couldn't keep up. One bar owner summed it up with the kind of quote you can't script: "The fans are unbelievable. They're drinking, partying, and having a great time."
It didn't stop there. Over 10,000 kilted, bagpipe-playing Scots marched into Fenway Park to watch the Boston Red Sox take on the Texas Rangers — most of them having never seen a baseball game in their lives. They sang songs for John McGinn, belted out "Country Roads," and chanted "No Scotland, No Party" long after the final out. The Rangers won 6-4. Nobody cared.
The Norwegian supporters have brought their own ritual: a synchronized rowing celebration lifted straight from a Viking longship. It erupted after Norway's 4-1 win over Iraq — Haaland got two — and spread from the stands to the escalators on the way out. Social media did the rest. It's already one of the defining fan images of the tournament.
Merlin the duck and Japan's spotless legacy
Then there's Merlin. A domesticated duck in a miniature Mexico jersey and custom socks, waddling through celebrations on Reforma Avenue in Mexico City after the co-hosts beat South Africa 2-0. His owner, street merchant Karla Gomez, was not exaggerating when she said: "The fact that Merlin is the unofficial mascot of the World Cup... we feel very pleased about such a situation." Thousands of photos later, she probably still isn't.
Japan's contribution has been quieter but arguably sticks longer. After their 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in Dallas, Japanese supporters stayed behind with trash bags — cups, wrappers, everything — and cleaned the stands themselves without being asked. The men's team did the same to their locker room. It's rooted in Shinto culture, in which everyday objects carry a kind of spiritual weight worth respecting. Whether you find that moving or just refreshing after years of stadium carnage, the contrast is hard to ignore.
- Scotland fans drank Boston's Tennent's lager supply dry during the Haiti vs. Scotland opener
- 10,000+ Scots took over Fenway Park for a Red Sox game, never having watched baseball before
- Merlin the duck — miniature jersey, custom socks — became Mexico's unofficial mascot after their 2-0 win over South Africa
- Norwegian fans performed synchronized Viking rowing celebrations after a 4-1 win over Iraq, even doing it up escalators
- Japanese supporters cleaned the stadium after their 2-2 draw with the Netherlands; the team left their locker room spotless too
- A Japanese fan named Hirochika Nakakuki told Fox 4 simply: "I cannot speak English but... I AM EXCITED"
- DR Congo fans in Lisbon erupted when Yoane Wissa scored the country's first-ever World Cup goal — a 52-year wait, ended with a draw against a Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal side
That last one deserves a moment. DR Congo hadn't been at a World Cup in 52 years. When Wissa equalized in first-half stoppage time against Portugal, a small group of Congo supporters huddled around a screen in Lisbon — surrounded by Portuguese fans — completely lost it. They held on for a point. Against Ronaldo. In his own country's backyard.
The group stage isn't even done. Whatever happens on the pitch, this tournament already has its atmosphere.
