American football fans are facing mockery for their "cringy" World Cup chants, with even NFL stars Jason and Travis Kelce criticizing supporters on their New Heights podcast.
A group of American supporters went viral for a chant deemed "too nice," singing in a placid tone: "We support the US, the US, the US, and that's the way we like it, we like it, we love it!" The tag has stuck despite the growing popularity of the sport, which many Americans still call "soccer," in the United States.
Travis Kelce, who is marrying Taylor Swift next month, joined his brother Jason in calling out the fans. Jason recalled attending a game and said: "'I believe that we can win' is the most loser mentality chant I have ever heard. What are we here for?"
Jason added: "It's just a weird f****** chant. It needs to be: 'I believe that we can f*** you up.'" Other widely panned chants include simple lines such as "go team!" and "de-fence, de-fence!"
European fans set the standard
Critics have contrasted the American chants with the songs heard elsewhere. Scotland fans roar out "The Flower of Scotland," Icelandic supporters have the Viking Thunder Clap, though not at this World Cup, and continental European fans have taken over host cities with marches.
Australian fans were seen downing beer from their shoes during their opening match against Turkey.
England supporters have drawn attention for the notoriously offensive nature of their chants. Fans of the Three Lions sang "Kier Starmer's a w***er" during a warm-up game in Orlando last week, and continue singing about shooting down "10 German bombers" to the tune of "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain," despite manager Thomas Tuchel being German.
American fans react online
American sports fans have weighed in on social media, largely conceding the point. One wrote on X: "Dear Americans going to a US World Cup match: please, please, please sing our anthem like these proud Scots." Another said: "American sports are amazing, but our European friends absolutely kick our butts w/ their chants, cheers & songs." A third wrote: "Americans: we need a bigger crowd choral repertoire. 'Sweet Caroline' and the Star Spangled Banner are great, but not sufficient."
All three posted after watching Scotland fans belt out anthems in Foxborough before their 1-0 win over Haiti.
MLS makes strides with fan culture
Major League Soccer, the country's top football division, has made impressive strides with fan culture in recent seasons. MLS games are often louder than a European fan might expect and sometimes feature extraordinary tifos.
However, while European clubs have "ultras" who generate much of the noise and sometimes bring toxic behaviour, American clubs rely more on official supporter groups gathered in dedicated standing sections.
At a national level, the chants become more generic, leading fans to be perceived as corny. One viewer summed it up on X: "American chants are the cringiest thing ever." Another wrote: "More atmosphere in GCSE exams." One commenter said: "The purpose of the chants is to demoralise the opponents, not your own team." Another added: "And the crowd goes mild."
Scotland fans take over Fenway
A Boston Red Sox baseball fan was amazed by the passion Scottish supporters brought to a trip to see the Red Sox play the Texas Rangers, calling it "the greatest Fenway game" in years after sharing beers with a Scot. Scottish supporters sang and danced in unison as "Mr Brightside" by The Killers played at the stadium.
An estimated 5,000 fans marched from Evans Way Park to the ballpark as the Red Sox staged "Scotland Day," aiming to capitalise on the enthusiasm of the Tartan Army.