The Wildest Fans at the 2026 World Cup: Vikings on Longboats, Tamerlane’s Warriors, and “Patrice Lumumba”
Photo: Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Football World Cups are always memorable not only for spectacular matches but also for passionate, joyful fans. The 2026 World Cup in the USA was no exception – if fans already splurged on flights and exorbitant ticket prices, why not pay for an original costume too?
Norway: The Whole Country “Rows”
The most striking performance at the 2026 World Cup is being put on by Norwegians. The entire country mimics the rowing movements of Vikings on a longboat. En masse, hundreds and thousands are repeating simple movements, amazing Americans in the subway, in central squares, and, of course, in the stadiums. With every stroke, fans loudly shout the Norwegian word Ro! (“Row!”). After the matches, the team sits on the field, a drummer appears who sets the rhythm – and the players row along with the fans. It’s incredibly moving!
This is how they cheer for Haaland in kindergartens:
These Norwegian kids watching the World Cup from home joined in the Viking row celebration led by the national team after their win over Senegal 😂❤️ pic.twitter.com/0ZHigdxtnv
— Cleverly 💐 (@Cleverlydey4u) June 23, 2026
And this is how the Vikings “captured” Times Square:
Fantastiske dager i New York, der norske supportere ladet opp til kamp med å ta over Times Square i går 🇳🇴 pic.twitter.com/Goh9j2nM08
— NorgesFotballforbund (@nff_info) June 22, 2026
Moreover – even parliament members have “rowed”! The Speaker of the Storting unexpectedly suggested to colleagues that they support the team, after which the entire hall interrupted the session and “boarded the longboat,” meaning they started imitating rowing.
“Patrice Lumumba”: Stands for the Entire Match
From group madness (in a good sense of the word) we move to individual passion. He is a loner. Michel Kuka Mboladinga is the most famous fan of the Congolese national team, nicknamed “Lumumba Weah” or “Lumumba Lives.”
He became famous during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations: Michel stood on a pedestal at every match of Congo, remaining absolutely still with his right hand raised from the beginning to the end of the game. He is repeating the same trick in the USA.
Who was Patrice Lumumba? Readers of the “third age” will surely remember the famous Patrice Lumumba Peoples’ Friendship University in the USSR, where mainly Africans from friendly countries studied.
But Lumumba is honored in his homeland even now. This pose by the fan is a tribute to Patrice Emery Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of Congo after the country gained independence from Belgium in June 1960, whom Mboladinga strikingly resembles. Lumumba was assassinated less than seven months later, in January 1961, at the age of just 35.
Michel bears a striking resemblance to the assassinated leader of the DR Congo. Photo: Photo by Doug Zimmerman/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images
Aztecs and the God of Death
Of course, Mexico is celebrating the 2026 World Cup in its own traditions. Many costumes are inspired by the local Day of the Dead holiday and consist of elaborate skull makeup, flowers, feathers in headdresses, and clothing in the colors of the Mexican flag.
But one fan has simply surpassed everyone! It is a meticulously crafted costume with skull masks – the image of Mictlantecuhtli, the Aztec god of death and the underworld. He ruled the realm of the dead, depicted as a human with a toothed skull for a head. He often wore a necklace of human eyes and decorations made of bones. He considered the souls of the deceased his rightful food.
Meeting this guy in a dark alley in the evening would be shocking and terrifying.
Tamerlane’s Army from Uzbekistan
The Uzbekistan national team, having lost their first two matches with a total score of 1:8, is unlikely to be remembered for footballing feats. However, their fans managed to make an impressive appearance, arriving at the match against Portugal on horseback and in the attire of Tamerlane’s (Timur’s) warriors. As is known, Tamerlane crushed the Golden Horde, defeated the Ottoman Empire and captured Sultan Bayezid I, and also conquered the wealthiest cities of India (including Delhi). The Uzbekistani footballers are not yet as formidable.
It is not reported where the fans obtained the horses, but it looked spectacular:
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Caramelo – Hector Chavez Has Attended 11 World Cups
Mexico also has another superfan – Hector Chavez. At 64 years old, he has attended 543 national team matches and 11 World Cups, starting with the 1986 tournament in Mexico.
He says that last Thursday’s match in Guadalajara was his 543rd game, which he has followed worldwide since Mexico last hosted the World Cup in 1986.
According to him, the first national team match he attended was on February 19, 1986, when Mexico played against the USSR (a friendly match, score 1:0).
His signature move is to throw his sombrero onto the field (not everyone approves). And after the match, the queue of people wanting to take a photo with Caramelo is longer than the queue for the national team players.
By the way, it wasn’t easy for Chavez this time – the 2026 World Cup is truly expensive: “I had to break my piggy bank, and we are here thanks to the support of our family, because without this support, it would have been impossible.” Desperate!
“Caramelo” has attended 543 matches of the Mexican national team. Photo: Photo by Alex Livesey – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images