Supporters will be living and dying with every touch this summer at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The tournament will feature intensity and passion in the stands that American sports fans won’t be used to seeing very often.
Zlatan Ibrahimović and Tom Brady sat down ahead of the tournament this summer and covered a variety of topics, including how fans support their teams. Soccer fans around the world are extremely passionate and will be very vocal with their satisfaction — or dissatisfaction.
Brady found a parallel in American sports, comparing how fans in Europe are born into supporting a club or country to supporting a college team.
“I always describe European soccer as more college fanaticism because if you go to that college, you love that college forever. You’re born into that,” Brady said. “You chose that college, you’ll forever support that college. That’s, to me, what being born into one of the environments in Europe. You pick your team, and you’re with them forever.
“In America, yeah, you’re with [a professional team] without end. But you additionally say, ‘Hey, I kind of like that team because I really like that player.’ And should you’re a LeBron James fan, wherever he went, you are going to finally like that staff.”
The atmospheres at games in Europe are also very different. Obviously, soccer clubs are treated very differently than in Major League Soccer, but the attitude extends to other sports, as well.
“I really consider the American athlete would take pleasure in in a different way in Europe with these followers, particularly your world,” said Ibrahimović, who played with LA Galaxy of the MLS for two seasons and spent the majority of his professional career in Europe. “… I imply, I do know once I went in a duel with a participant head-to-head, the followers needed to return in and play one facet vs. the opposite facet.”
Ibrahimović mentioned that he wonders how even a top basketball player like LeBron James would face an extremely different atmosphere in Europe.
“I do know basketball, you discuss LeBron with the Lakers followers and that I’ve been there, however I’ve been additionally in Belgrade and see a basketball sport there,” Ibrahimović said. “Whoa, that is somewhat bit scary in contrast [to the NBA]. That’s why I believe that the American athlete, if he would undergo there, I do not know if he would change into higher.
“It would be different.”
Tom Brady joined Zlatan Ibrahimovic for an AC Milan match in February. (Sara Cavallini/AC Milan by way of Getty Images)
In phrases of how the Swedish nationwide staff was supported all through his profession, Ibrahimović had nothing however constructive issues to say. He appreciated how constructive the Swedes had been, no matter outcomes, though he did not essentially agree with their attitudes.
“Our fans in Sweden were amazing,” Ibrahimović mentioned. “Win or lose, they were supporting you, which I find strange because when you lose, they shouldn’t support you.”