One of the major problems with nationalism, of thinking that your country is the be all, end all, and that the entire world should look on your country with nothing but admiration, is that you tend to miss some admirable things that other countries have.
Since I was a kid, it was fascinated to witness just how beloved the World Cup is, and how important it is to the fans and people in the home countries. Growing up and living in the United States, where the World Cup Final might get a few seconds of coverage on the nightly news back in the eighties, it felt mysterious and strange and foreign, yet fascinating. I longed to be able to learn and watch more. But it was difficult, since absolutely nobody seemed to really be into it here.
Of course, that has changed. It began to change particularly in 1994, when the United States first hosted the World Cup. That is when it began to be a big deal. Now, it seems bigger than ever, and Americans finally are beginning to understand not only that this is truly the biggest sports tournament in the world, but why this is the case.
The World Cup has been the setting for some of those things that I learned about other countries over the years and decades. Part of the draw, at least for me, was the opportunity to learn about other countries through this truly global tournament.
For example, the pride which some countries take just in making the World Cup. Iceland was a notable example of this in 2018, and in the 2016 Euro especially. They had the Icelandic cheer, the Viking Clap, which became world famous shortly after their success in those two tournaments. This year, Cabo Verde and Curaçao are the examples for this World Cup.
Yet, there is one thing that I have long admired from one country participating in the World Cup. In particular, it is the fans of that country.
The country is Japan. Their fans will go to the game, and then stay behind at the end to clean up their section.
This was something which I learned about years ago. hell, decades ago. But it is one thing which I felt was very admirable, and pretty much unique to Japanese fans.
But it is something which, I feel at least, we can all learn from. It is just a basic level of respect that far too many of us - especially in the West, and perhaps especially here in the United States - have lost sight of. Frankly, I cannot get enough of seeing these fans staying behind to make sure that their section is at least as clean as it was when they first got there. That they do not make it worse, or leave it worse than they found it, in other words.
Imagine if all nations did this, or at least had something close to that level of consideration. We probably would be living in a much different, and frankly, a much better world if that was the case.
Below is the link to the article about Japanese fans acting very respectfully and admirably at the World Cup:
Japan soccer fans pick up litter after game, continue World Cup tradition by Charlie Scott, June 14, 2026:
Japan fans clean up at the end of the match Japan fans clean up at the end of the game against Netherlands at the AT&T Stadium
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7360923/2026/06/14/japan-fans-litter-soccer-world-cup/
Japan soccer fans pick up litter after game, continue World Cup tradition - The Athletic
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