World Cup Etiquette
25 Definitive Rules For Watching FIFA World Cup 2026™
With FIFA World Cup 2026™ fever taking over Dallas, we asked journalist and English ex-pat Jonathan Thompson for his tips on soccer-watching etiquette. Whether you’re at Dallas Stadium, the FIFA Fan Festival™ Dallas or a neighborhood bar, here’s how to emerge a winner (and avoid scoring any social own-goals).
1. RESPECT THE MORNING PINT
There are two occasions when beers before lunch are acceptable: an early flight and FIFA World Cup 2026™. If you’re flying in to watch a game, that’s double validation. (It’s not “day drinking;” it’s global citizenship).
2. ARRIVE EARLY
Obviously at the stadium. But everywhere else too. Pubs and bars in Dallas will be packed throughout the tournament, so arrive at least an hour before kick-off to secure a spot. Plus, you don’t want to miss the national anthems, or the handy (and surprisingly atypical) team formations flashed up on the screen before kick-off.
3. IT’S FINE TO ROOT FOR YOUR COUNTRY OF ANCESTRY
There’s no shame in adopting a random team for the summer if you have due cause. Your country of origin or ancestry? That’s an open goal. Lived there at some point in your life? Score. Had a great vacation there once in your childhood? Now we’re getting into yellow card territory...
4. GET KIT AND PROPER WITH YOUR JERSEYS
Don’t wear a jersey to the stadium unless it’s one of the two teams playing. Otherwise at best you’ll look like a casual observer, and at worst a self-important nincompoop. If you’re watching at the pub, any tournament jersey goes - just don’t team it with official shorts and socks unless you’re ready for international ridicule.
5. LEARN A SONG OR THREE
Each team has its own three or four primary chants, which are easy to find and learn online. Then there are the universal melodies, from “Olé, Olé, Ole” to “We are the Champions.”
6. KEEP A LID ON IT
Headwear is a key part of any football fan’s look, particularly for match-going (and patio-going) in the Texas heat. This year, the bucket hat is head and shoulders above the rest, ideally worn in a minimum of three colors and tilted back for full effect.
7. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT IT’S CALLED
Football; futbol; soccer. Who cares? Just enjoy the beautiful game. (If a European says otherwise, they’re only teasing to see your response).
8. GET YOUR FACE PAINT RIGHT
It’s summer in Texas; you’re going to sweat. A full paint mask won’t last long, so go for the smarter option of a small flag on each cheek, in waterproof face paint.
9. WATCH A GAME WITH ANOTHER TEAM’S FANS
There are eight confirmed teams playing in Dallas: England, Japan, Netherlands, Croatia, Jordan, Sweden, Austria, and Argentina (and that’s just the group stages). Try watching a match in a local bar where ticketless nationals gather, for a unique taste of foreign footballing culture. (For instance, Henk’s for Netherlands matches, Backyard Dallas for Argentina games and Harwood Arms for England fixtures).
10. THE UNDERDOG IS ALWAYS THE ANSWER
If you’re a confirmed neutral and you’re asking the question, root for David over Goliath. That’s an unspoken soccer statute.
11. HUGGING STRANGERS IS OK
But only after goals, penalty saves, or at full time. Otherwise, it’s a bit weird.
12. FOLLOW THE CROWD’S LEAD
Stand when others stand; sit when others sit. Not only because you want to avoid blocking people’s views, but also because you want to look like you know what you’re doing.
13. DON’T WORRY, NOBODY UNDERSTANDS OFFSIDE
Offside is the most complicated, convoluted and controversial rule in football. Most fans swear blind they understand it, then crumble under basic questioning. Look, offside is complicated. Once you accept that, you’ll feel a lot better.
14. REFEREES ARE ALWAYS WRONG
This is a universal truth that translates seamlessly from American football.
15. USE THE REHYDRATION BREAKS TACTICALLY
The addition of these three-minute breaks in each half has been controversial this FIFA World Cup 2026™, particularly in air-conditioned arenas like Dallas Stadium. But really, they’re a gift to us fans who need to “rehydrate” too. Just watch the clock and ensure you’re in motion toward the bar as the whistle sounds.
16. A BALL IN THE STANDS IS NOT A SOUVENIR
Throw it back. This isn’t baseball.
17. EMBRACE THE FRINGE BENEFITS OF SCARVES
Yes, it’s hot in North Texas. But scarves aren’t just for wearing – they’re for waving too. Plus, you can buy high quality, lightweight polyester-acrylic blends now. Just never buy a “half and half” scarf. Unless you have a parent born in each of the nations playing each other, there’s never a legitimate excuse to wear one of these abominations.
18. YOU ARE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO SAY “WHAT A GOAL”
Do this whenever a team scores, even if you have no idea what just happened.
19. YOU MAY ADOPT A SECOND TEAM
Think of it as a spare in your trunk, for unexpected accidents. The rules are a lot less discriminatory here: your second team can simply be a country you have a soft spot for. Just keep it on the downlow and if you must represent, do so in subtle ways (think caps or lapel badges).
20. IT’S A YELLOW CARD OFFENSE TO REMOVE YOUR SHIRT
This is literally the case on the pitch when celebrating a goal, and figuratively the case in most Dallas bars (with some honorable exceptions in deepest Deep Ellum).
21. LEARN TO APPRECIATE DRAWS
To the rest of the world, a “tie” is something you wear around your neck. By contrast, a draw can be a thing of rare beauty. Just because both teams have the same goals tally doesn’t make it a bad game.
22. DON’T UNDERESTIMATE ANY TEAM
That’s the beauty of the FIFA World Cup 2026™. Just ask South Korea in 2002 and Morocco in 2022, who both reached the semi-finals against the odds. Or even Saudi Arabia, who famously beat the mighty Argentina in the 2022 group stage. (Admittedly Argentina had the last laugh that year, going on to lift the trophy).
23. BANK ON EXTRA TIME
Parking meters and babysitters beware! There must be a winner in every game once the World Cup reaches its knockout phase. If teams are tied after 90 minutes, an “extra time” of 30 minutes is automatically added. (Followed by 15-20 minutes of penalties if necessary to break the deadlock).
24. CONSIDER THE WORLD CUP A GATEWAY DRUG
Loving the action? FIFA World Cup 2026™ is once every four years, but all its players have day jobs, from England’s Premier League to Spain’s La Liga. Plenty of Dallas pubs open early on Saturdays and Sundays to show the big games in fun environments, including The Londoner, The Old Monk and Blackfriar.
25. DO NOT LEAVE EARLY
It’s tempting to leave five minutes before the end of a game – to beat the traffic from the stadium or the rush of patrons trying to settle at the bar. But a disproportionately large amount of drama happens in those all-important final minutes, when both sets of players are exhausted and the losing team is desperate. Keep your eyes on the ball.
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