2026 World Cup: A sample of the best chants and traditions at the tournament this summer

Every four years, it's not just the teams that get a chance to shine on the global stage, but the supporters. Exuberant fans from all 48 countries are set to take over the stadiums in the United States, Canada and Mexico throughout June and July, putting their fandom front and center. There are some traditions that are common across the board. Fans will put on extravagant, culturally-specific costumes or cover their faces in paint; they will bring drums and songs and chants to the supporters' section and sing themselves hoarse through every game. Play 2026 Soccer Pick 'Em with FOX One and make your picks for the world's biggest soccer tournament Some of these fanbases, though, are known for their traditions that are wholly unique. Here's a few of the ones to keep an eye out for this summer. Japan, "Vamos Nippon" Want an example of how soccer is the global game? Look no further than Japan. One of the primary chants for fans of the Samurai Blue is an amalgamation of Japanese and Spanish: "Vamos Nippon!" The chant uses the formal pronunciation of Japan, "Nippon," but with a twist pulled from Spanish-language chants from other countries. " Nippon Olé ," another chant commonly used by Japanese ultras, similarly pulls from the global football cheer when cheering on their team. Netherlands, Oranje Fanwalk The Dutch have become one of the standards for international football supporters, with legions of orange-clad fans showing up to every one of the country's games. There's no better way for the Netherlands to show off its fandom than the "Oranje Fanwalk," where supporters of the Oranje participate in a march to the match filled with singing and chanting. At the 2024 Euros, 110,000 Dutch fans participated in the march, flooding the streets of Dortmund with orange. This tournament, the Netherlands will kick off all three of its group stage matches — held in Dallas, Houston and Kansas City, in that order — with a fanwalk. But the real show will be in Houston, with supporters of the Oranje planning to walk about two miles down Main Street from Rice University to the stadium. It'll be a sight to behold. Argentina, "Muchachos" En Argentina nací, tierra de Diego y Lionel ( I was born in Argentina, land of Diego and Lionel ) begins the song "Muchachos," which became Argentina's anthem during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Based on a song from Argentine band La Mosca, "Muchachos" was retooled ahead of the 2022 World Cup to pay homage to legendary Argentinian soccer star Diego Maradona, and living legend Lionel Messi. The rewritten song itself is pretty specific to 2022, as the lyrics mention the team's win over Brazil in the 2021 Copa America final ( Pero eso se terminó, porqué en el Maracaná / la final con los brazucas la volvió a ganar Papá ) as part of the hope that they could win it all. But the image of thousands of die-hard Argentinian fans singing a song about that hope — Muchachos, ahora nos volvimos a ilusionar (Guys, we have hope again) — was a lovely sight. And even the players embraced it as an anthem, singing it in the locker room after multiple victories. Now that they have won it all once again, it will be interesting to see if the country finds a new song for 2026, or if they find a way to alter the lyrics for a new, three-trophy era. Norway, Viking Row Similar to Iceland's " viking clap " tradition, the Norwegians have also heartily embraced their viking heritage ahead of this World Cup. Supporters have a viking-themed celebration, the "viking row," that they will hope to debut at this tournament: After two drum beats, all of the fans mimic pulling an oar while saying "yoo." The effect, with a large group of Norwegian fans moving in unison, is striking. That's not where the viking comparisons end. Research indicates that the vikings first made their way to North America more than 1,000 years ago. And in preparation for the "return to America," the Norwegian national team dressed up as vikings for their official portrait. Algeria: "1,2,3, viva l'Algerie" The numbers in English offset with the Algerian French make this chant a bit of an eyebrow-raiser for those who don't know the story behind it. The origin of this chant —  "One, two, three, viva l'Algerie" — is not entirely clear, but consensus is that it comes from a pre-independent Algeria, which was under French rule until 1962. Per the lore, Algerians chanted "We want to be free, viva l'Algerie" at a passing American boat in the Strait of Algiers, but it was misheard as "1,2,3, viva l'Algerie." Since then, the chant has seamlessly transitioned from a cry for independence into a football cheer. And Algerian supporters are loud, too, filling stadiums with the chant. View this post on Instagram Scotland, Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal Scotland supporters, known as the Tartan Army, have an unusual tradition in every city: giving to charity. Since 2003, the Tartan Army has been giving back through the Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal, which donates to (non-political) children's charities in every city they travel to for a Scotland match. Thousands of Scotland fans are making their way to New England in anticipation of the country's group stage matches, two of which are in Foxboro, Massachusetts. As a result, the Tartan Army donated $10,000 to Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence, RI, earlier this month, via WPRI . Ally Henry, the organizer of the Tartan Army in Providence, told WPRI that it's the 112th consecutive match that Scotland's supporters have celebrated with a big donation to a children's charity. Senegal, Seven Letters Senegal, known as the Lions of Teranga, enters this tournament as a potential dark horse to advance to the later rounds. The team will be cheered on by the 12ème Gainde (12th Lion), the official supporters' group, who are led by a group of fully-painted men — the "Seven Letters." The Seven Letters spell out "S-E-N-E-G-A-L" in green paint; they wear pants modeled after the Senegalese flag and matching 12ème Gainde hats, with their chests and faces painted white. Plenty of teams have colorfully costumed ultras at the center of their supporters' group. But the Seven Letters stand out because of their full commitment to both the team and their full-body paint. United States, "I believe that we will win" Love it or hate it — and many do! — the chant of "I believe that we will win" has emerged as a tradition among U.S. men's national team supporters. The chant has humble origins, starting with a student at the Naval Prep Academy before spreading to the rest of the country. By 2014, it became a rallying cry for the United States in the run-up to the World Cup in Brazil; ESPN ran multiple commercials featuring the chant as part of promoting the USMNT's run at the tournament. In the decade-plus since then, it's stuck around. It's become a consistent piece of the American Outlaws' chant book, starting as a call-and-response and turning into a unison cheer. And over the years, it's been a little bit polarizing, as some consider the chant corny. In December, Men in Blazers had an interview with singer-songwriter and noted soccer fan Noah Kahan, who said that it was time to get a new chant. "We've gotta chill with that one. Horrible," Kahan said. He's not the only one who feels that way. But the chant still feels relevant when the United States men's national team is always a little bit of an underdog. Sometimes all you can hope for is a win. Sometimes all you can do is believe.