Unusual moments in the World Cup, By Azu Ishiekwene

The sentiment toward Iran was different – it proved the enduring value of soft power. At some point, no one was sure the national team would show up because of the US-Israel war in the country… It’s to the team’s credit that, despite the difficulties surrounding their participation, one of the most fraught in recent sporting memory, Iran did not lose a single match in the group stages.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has entered the knockout stages, yet it has been remarkable not only for being the biggest in football history so far, but also for its unusual moments. It has delivered remarkable fan antics, underdog stories, emotional scenes and controversial decisions.

On a personal note, because I’m visiting the US and Canada, two of the three North American hosts, I’m enjoying what I have often taken for granted, watching global games on live TV in my part of the world.

Replays are not my thing. I’m not sure I would have been able to follow the games so closely if I were watching them from home in Nigeria, where a five or six-hour time difference with the US, Canada or Mexico might have meant watching replays, missing several games played at “odd hours” or watching them with red, sleepy eyes.

Bafana Beefing

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Some unusual moments have caught my attention so far in the World Cup. The performance of South Africa’s team, Bafana Bafana, was not only a thing of pride to the country and its players, I thought it would bring joy to many Africans that the team, one of the continent’s 10 representatives, reached the knockout stage by pulling off a stunning last-minute 1-0 win over South Korea in a last group stage contest that could have been drawn – or worse.

It was Bafana’s best performance since 2002, when it first qualified for the World Cup, surpassing even its 2010 record, when it hosted the event and finished third in the group.

But talking to several friends and monitoring social media posts across the continent revealed that the team’s exploits hardly carried a shared sense of continental joy. Echoes of the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa overshadowed them.

Transferred Aggression

Fans wanted Bafana to crash out as quickly as possible, as a “recompense” for the attacks on immigrants from other African countries.

On 28 June, for example, @Son_of_Laikipa posted a video of a wild party on his timeline, writing, “South Africa are out of the World Cup, they can now rush home to protect their jobs.” A Nigerian Nollywood actor, Charles Awurum, also mocked Bafana on his timeline, while @PopBase said, “Africa is happy.”

Many, especially Nigerian fans, who seemed to revel in this schadenfreude, didn’t seem to care that the joke was on Nigeria. Fans wearing Nigerian jerseys around many stadiums in North America have been taunted with jokes like, “When is Nigeria playing?” Nigeria didn’t qualify.

Apart from the incident of the “surfing phone,” the World Cup has been filled with other dramatic moments, from the DRC Congo “statue fan,” who stood still throughout the country’s matches and became an internet sensation, to the now-famous “Merlin the Duck,” Mexico’s unofficial World Cup mascot, and the Cape Verdean fan who celebrated with live goats, to prove that players of the island country were the real GOATs at this World Cup.

Soft Power

The sentiment toward Iran was different – it proved the enduring value of soft power. At some point, no one was sure the national team would show up because of the US-Israel war in the country.

It’s to the team’s credit that, despite the difficulties surrounding their participation, one of the most fraught in recent sporting memory, Iran did not lose a single match in the group stages.

Team Melli’s resilience captured the imagination of the world, and its elimination (finishing just outside the eighth, third-placed) drew global empathy.

Riding the Wave

There have been brighter, unusual sides, too, like the story of the Canadian fan during the Canada vs South Africa game, who mistakenly flung her phone in the air during an excited bout of Mexican wave, causing the device to crash through a glass barrier, “riding the waves,” and disappearing in the stands.

The owner’s misery went viral. Though there is no report that her phone was recovered, she might have been comforted by Canada’s win.

Apart from the incident of the “surfing phone,” the World Cup has been filled with other dramatic moments, from the DRC Congo “statue fan,” who stood still throughout the country’s matches and became an internet sensation, to the now-famous “Merlin the Duck,” Mexico’s unofficial World Cup mascot, and the Cape Verdean fan who celebrated with live goats, to prove that players of the island country were the real GOATs at this World Cup.

The followers of the Cape Verdean goalkeeper, Josimar Jose Evora Dias, called Vozinha for short, grew from 50,000 before the tournament to 17.5 million – a social media Ballon d’Or!

If the Mexican wave has made fans move like water, Norway’s Viking Row has made them move like a boat, with fans sitting or standing in lines rowing in unison like a Viking longboat, shouting, “Ro!” On its website, FIFA described the Viking Row and France’s clapping as “two of the most distinctive supporter traditions” in the World Cup.

With over two more weeks of football still to play before the finals, the FIFA president, Giovanni Vincenzo Infantino, must be very pleased at the event’s success so far, despite initial doubts by those who thought his cosy relationship with US President Donald Trump, almost akin to Trump-olatry, could spoil the games.

Seeing Red

The pitches have not lacked their unusual moments. The opening game between hosts, Mexico, and South Africa produced three red cards; the first since 1930. Yet, that would not be the last time that on-field referees and their VARs would be tested.

The decision disallowing Germany’s extra-time goal in the knockout match against Paraguay, and the award of a penalty to Belgium in their game against Senegal, three minutes to the end of the extra time on 1 July, will, among others, continue to be huge talking points long after this World Cup. And yet, we still have about 22 games left to play as of 2 July.

The opening stages, with 48 teams and 12 groups, saw the highest number of goals ever scored in the opening stages of a World Cup – 215 in 72 group matches, compared with the full-tournament record of 172 goals in 64 matches at Qatar in 2022. As of June 30, a record five million fans had turned up in stadiums to watch the games live.

Dignity in Defeat

Japan’s clean-up at the NRG Stadium in Houston after a 2-1 heartbreak loss to Brazil caught the attention of many around the world. Japanese supporters stayed behind with blue trash bags to clean their section, keeping up a tradition that first attracted global attention in France in 1998.

Teams, players and coaches have had their moments, too. After the dramatic penalty win over the Netherlands, for example, the Moroccan team tossed their coach up and down in his suit and necktie, and then performed the sujood in front of their jubilant fans.

Canada’s coach, Jesse Marsch’s post-match on-field team talks have attracted unusual attention. He was caught on live TV calling his players “Canadian heroes” and telling them that their performance could change not just the game in Canada but also the lives of young people watching them. In an emotional speech that felt more like a dressing-room moment than a public broadcast, he told Stephen Eusaquio after his late winner, that his late parents were “looking down” on him.

More to Come

With over two more weeks of football still to play before the finals, the FIFA president, Giovanni Vincenzo Infantino, must be very pleased at the event’s success so far, despite initial doubts by those who thought his cosy relationship with US President Donald Trump, almost akin to Trump-olatry, could spoil the games.

The tournament has so far offered stories on several levels, all at once: good football, major upsets, compelling human moments, and dramatic fan culture.

There have been genuine signs of a shift in the global balance of the game. It feels less like an event dominated by a handful of giants, and more like a celebration of football’s growing universality.

Azu Ishiekwene is Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP and author of the book, Writing for Media and Monetising It.