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The first week of the 2026 World Cup has brought an explosion of joy across North America.
In Boston, Scottish fans have taken over Fenway Park, filling the building with sing-alongs. In Lawrence, Kansas, there’s a nascent love affair between locals and the Algerian national team. In Dallas, the Dutch have brought their famed open-top buses to the World Cup.
Everywhere, there have been reminders of the power of camaraderie and sharing in the human spirit. In an attempt to capture that joy, we decided to rank the top 10 teams at the World Cup by their fan bases and the quality of their kits — two symbols of that joy.
No fan base has exemplified the spirit of the World Cup quite like Scotland’s. With back-to-back games in Boston, their supporters — known as the Tartan Army — have taken over the city, singing about their favorite players and playing the bagpipes everywhere they go. Plus, their away shirt is one of the most striking in the tournament, with blue pinstripes on a pink background. The Scots are making the most of their first World Cup since 1998.
With their famous blue-and-white striped shirts and some of the most boisterous support in the world, Argentina is custom-built for a list like this one. Ahead of their opener in Kansas City, fans filled the streets with renditions of "Muchachos," the anthem that fueled their run to glory in 2022.
If you see a mass of orange-clad humanity jumping side to side outside a World Cup venue, it can only be one thing: Netherlands fans losing their collective minds as they aim to will their team to a first title. The “links rechts” chant — translated as “left right” — became famous at Euro 2024 and is now taking over the U.S.
The loudest game of this World Cup may well have been the opener, when Mexico beat South Africa, 2-0, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. With their first World Cup on home soil since 1986, the Mexican fans are taking full advantage — as are the kit designers, who came up with an Aztec-inspired print design on their green home shirt.
The result may not have gone Ecuador’s way in their opener against the Ivory Coast, but their fans took over Philadelphia, from the "Rocky Steps" to Lincoln Financial Field. And while their home yellow shirt may be simple, it makes for a powerful visual when worn across a sea of 70,000 fans inside a packed stadium.
One of the great early scenes of the World Cup came in Times Square last weekend, as Brazilian fans filled the area with chanting on the eve of their opener. Then, the following night, they joined Knicks fans in raucous celebrations across the city — despite an underwhelming draw against Morocco. And, of course, the canary yellow shirts have been famous since 1958, when Pele led Brazil to the first of their five titles.
An estimated 350,000 people of Bosnian descent live in the U.S. — a result of the Bosnian War, which dispersed over a million Bosnian refugees around the world. Along with a few dedicated travelers from back home, that diaspora has made its presence felt at this World Cup, filling the streets of Toronto before their opener against Canada. It should be a similar story this week in Los Angeles, when they take on Switzerland.
This one is a legacy selection. The Colombians haven’t yet begun their World Cup journey, but their fans are among the most dedicated in the world, packing out stadiums with their traditional yellow shirts. This World Cup will be no different — ahead of the tournament, Colombia’s matches had the highest average ticket price.
Australia gets a bump in the rankings for pure dedication. It’s a 14-hour flight from Sydney to Vancouver, but an estimated 10,000 Australians made the journey, filling the streets with noise and good vibes. As for kits, Australia is one of four countries that don’t wear their flag colors, instead wearing their traditional yellow and green.
The U.S. may not have the soccer culture of these other countries, but American fans packed out SoFi Stadium for their 4-1 opening win over Paraguay — and figure to do so again in Seattle this week, where the cheapest tickets now hover around $2,000. Plus, it’s hard to argue with the flag-inspired, red-and-white striped home shirt. It may just be the best kit in the entire tournament.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ranking top 10 fan bases, kits at 2026 World Cup
Continue reading...
In Boston, Scottish fans have taken over Fenway Park, filling the building with sing-alongs. In Lawrence, Kansas, there’s a nascent love affair between locals and the Algerian national team. In Dallas, the Dutch have brought their famed open-top buses to the World Cup.
Everywhere, there have been reminders of the power of camaraderie and sharing in the human spirit. In an attempt to capture that joy, we decided to rank the top 10 teams at the World Cup by their fan bases and the quality of their kits — two symbols of that joy.
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1. Scotland
No fan base has exemplified the spirit of the World Cup quite like Scotland’s. With back-to-back games in Boston, their supporters — known as the Tartan Army — have taken over the city, singing about their favorite players and playing the bagpipes everywhere they go. Plus, their away shirt is one of the most striking in the tournament, with blue pinstripes on a pink background. The Scots are making the most of their first World Cup since 1998.
2. Argentina
With their famous blue-and-white striped shirts and some of the most boisterous support in the world, Argentina is custom-built for a list like this one. Ahead of their opener in Kansas City, fans filled the streets with renditions of "Muchachos," the anthem that fueled their run to glory in 2022.
3. Netherlands
If you see a mass of orange-clad humanity jumping side to side outside a World Cup venue, it can only be one thing: Netherlands fans losing their collective minds as they aim to will their team to a first title. The “links rechts” chant — translated as “left right” — became famous at Euro 2024 and is now taking over the U.S.
You must be registered for see images attach
4. Mexico
The loudest game of this World Cup may well have been the opener, when Mexico beat South Africa, 2-0, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. With their first World Cup on home soil since 1986, the Mexican fans are taking full advantage — as are the kit designers, who came up with an Aztec-inspired print design on their green home shirt.
5. Ecuador
The result may not have gone Ecuador’s way in their opener against the Ivory Coast, but their fans took over Philadelphia, from the "Rocky Steps" to Lincoln Financial Field. And while their home yellow shirt may be simple, it makes for a powerful visual when worn across a sea of 70,000 fans inside a packed stadium.
6. Brazil
One of the great early scenes of the World Cup came in Times Square last weekend, as Brazilian fans filled the area with chanting on the eve of their opener. Then, the following night, they joined Knicks fans in raucous celebrations across the city — despite an underwhelming draw against Morocco. And, of course, the canary yellow shirts have been famous since 1958, when Pele led Brazil to the first of their five titles.
7. Bosnia and Herzegovina
An estimated 350,000 people of Bosnian descent live in the U.S. — a result of the Bosnian War, which dispersed over a million Bosnian refugees around the world. Along with a few dedicated travelers from back home, that diaspora has made its presence felt at this World Cup, filling the streets of Toronto before their opener against Canada. It should be a similar story this week in Los Angeles, when they take on Switzerland.
8. Colombia
This one is a legacy selection. The Colombians haven’t yet begun their World Cup journey, but their fans are among the most dedicated in the world, packing out stadiums with their traditional yellow shirts. This World Cup will be no different — ahead of the tournament, Colombia’s matches had the highest average ticket price.
You must be registered for see images
9. Australia
Australia gets a bump in the rankings for pure dedication. It’s a 14-hour flight from Sydney to Vancouver, but an estimated 10,000 Australians made the journey, filling the streets with noise and good vibes. As for kits, Australia is one of four countries that don’t wear their flag colors, instead wearing their traditional yellow and green.
10. United States
The U.S. may not have the soccer culture of these other countries, but American fans packed out SoFi Stadium for their 4-1 opening win over Paraguay — and figure to do so again in Seattle this week, where the cheapest tickets now hover around $2,000. Plus, it’s hard to argue with the flag-inspired, red-and-white striped home shirt. It may just be the best kit in the entire tournament.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ranking top 10 fan bases, kits at 2026 World Cup
Continue reading...
