A thoughtful look at football tournaments, belonging, collective joy, crowd behaviour, and why shared experiences may matter more to our health than we realise.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins on 11 June 2026, and across the world millions of people will spend the next few weeks shouting at televisions, debating tactics, celebrating goals, and feeling strangely invested in events happening thousands of miles away.
Rationally, it makes very little sense.
Most of us will have absolutely no influence over what happens on the pitch. We are not taking the penalties. We are not marking the centre forward. We are not being asked to make a last-minute substitution.
And yet, somehow, it matters.
Perhaps football tournaments are not really just about football. Perhaps they are about something much older, deeper, and more human.
More Than A Game
Major sporting tournaments create something unusual in modern life: a shared story.
For a few weeks, people have something to talk about. Families arrange plans around matches. Workplaces run sweepstakes. Friends gather in pubs, gardens and living rooms. Strangers smile at each other after a goal. People who may have very little in common suddenly find themselves emotionally united by a ball, a flag, and a slightly unrealistic belief that this might finally be the year.
That shared experience matters.
A large review published in PLOS Medicine found that people with stronger social relationships had a 50% increased likelihood of survival compared with those with weaker social relationships. Social connection is not just “nice to have”. It is strongly linked with health, resilience and longevity.
This does not mean watching football is a medical treatment. Sadly, shouting “come on ref” at the television is not yet available on prescription.
But it does suggest that the social side of tournaments — connection, belonging, shared joy, conversation and community — may be far more important than we sometimes realise.
The Health Benefits of Having Something To Look Forward To
One of the underestimated benefits of a tournament is anticipation.
Before a ball is kicked, there is possibility. Every team still has a chance. Every supporter still has hope. Fixtures are studied. Predictions are made. Plans are arranged. People look ahead.
That matters because human beings need more than treatment plans, appointments and routines. We need moments to look forward to. We need shared events. We need little sparks of hope in the calendar.
In whole health terms, anticipation is not trivial. It gives the mind something positive to move towards. It helps create rhythm, conversation and connection. And in a world where many people feel isolated, overwhelmed or disconnected, that can be surprisingly powerful.
Collective Effervescence: Why Crowds Feel So Powerful
More than a century ago, sociologist Émile Durkheim described a phenomenon called collective effervescence.
It refers to the emotional energy people feel when they come together in a shared ritual or experience. It can happen in religious gatherings, concerts, festivals, ceremonies, protests, and yes — football tournaments.
You can see it when a stadium sings in unison. When thousands of people rise together as a shot heads towards goal. When strangers hug after a last-minute winner. When a nation briefly seems to breathe in and out at the same time.
Modern research into collective behaviour describes this as a state of intense shared emotional activation and a sense of unity. A review in psychology and social behaviour research describes collective effervescence as involving shared emotion, synchrony and a sense of togetherness.
In simple terms, it is that feeling of:
“We are all in this together.”
And that feeling can be deeply nourishing.
For a brief moment, individual worries can dissolve into something larger. People feel part of a group. A community. A story. A shared moment.
This is one reason tournaments can feel emotionally bigger than sport. They give us belonging.
Belonging Is A Health Issue
The health impact of loneliness and disconnection is now taken increasingly seriously. The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on loneliness and social connection highlighted that loneliness and social isolation are associated with increased risk of premature death, heart disease, stroke, anxiety, depression and dementia.
That may sound far removed from football. But the link is human connection.
A World Cup will not solve loneliness. It will not replace friendship, family, community services or proper support. But it can create temporary moments of togetherness. It gives people a reason to gather, message, laugh, cheer, debate and belong.
For some people, that might be more meaningful than we imagine.
The Slightly Uncomfortable Side of Crowds
Of course, crowds are not always good.
The same psychology that creates belonging can also create tribalism. The same shared emotion that leads to singing and celebration can sometimes lead to aggression, rivalry, or people behaving in ways they might not behave alone.
Humans are social creatures. We are influenced by the people around us. That can be wonderful. It can also be dangerous.
Psychologists and sociologists have explored ideas such as herd behaviour, groupthink and deindividuation — where people in groups may become more emotional, less self-aware, or more likely to follow the behaviour of others.
In everyday language, we might say people can get swept along.
Football gives us a relatively safe place to notice this side of human nature. The crowd can lift people up. It can also pull people into “us versus them” thinking. A tournament can create joy, pride and community — but it can also amplify stress, anger, alcohol use, gambling, unhealthy snacking, and emotional over-identification with winning or losing.
So the message is not simply “football is good for you”.
A better message might be:
“Shared experiences can be good for us — when they connect us without consuming us.”
Football, Stress and The Nervous System
Anyone who has watched a penalty shootout knows football is not always relaxing.
Big matches can raise the heart rate, trigger adrenaline, increase tension and leave people feeling emotionally exhausted. This is especially true when supporters are deeply invested in the result.
That does not make it bad. Excitement and stress are not always harmful. The body is designed to respond to challenge, anticipation and emotion. The key is whether we recover afterwards.
Watching with friends, laughing, talking, walking home, eating well, drinking sensibly and keeping perspective can help turn match-day emotion into a positive shared experience rather than a stressful one.
How To Enjoy The Tournament In A Healthier Way
Here are a few simple ways to enjoy the World Cup without letting it derail your wellbeing:
- Use it as a reason to connect: message someone, invite a neighbour, call a friend, or watch with family.
- Move before or after matches: a walk, a kickabout, or even a stretch can balance out long periods of sitting.
- Keep alcohol in check: celebration does not have to mean overdoing it.
- Think about snacks: enjoy the treats, but mix in some healthier options too.
- Watch your stress levels: if a match leaves you genuinely angry or anxious, step back and breathe.
- Remember it is still a game: even when it briefly feels like it really matters.
What The World Cup Reminds Us About Health
At The Health Dispensary, we often talk about whole health. That means looking beyond symptoms alone and thinking about the wider ingredients of a good life.
Health is not just blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar or weight.
It is also:
- connection
- belonging
- movement
- hope
- laughter
- shared meaning
- having something to look forward to
Football tournaments bring many of these things together in one messy, emotional, slightly irrational, deeply human package.
They remind us that people are not machines. We are storytellers, supporters, dreamers and believers. We thrive on connection, shared experiences and the feeling of belonging. In a world increasingly measured by numbers and notifications, perhaps part of good health is simply having moments that help us feel more alive.
Every World Cup begins with possibility.
Before a ball is kicked, everyone still has a chance.
Perhaps that is why we keep coming back.
Not because football or any sport is perfect.
But because hope, belonging and connection remain some of the most powerful forces in human health.
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References
- FIFA: Mexico City Stadium to host opening match of FIFA World Cup 2026
- Holt-Lunstad J, Smith TB, Layton JB. Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review. PLOS Medicine. 2010.
- U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation. 2023.
- Pizarro JJ et al. Emotional processes, collective behavior, and social movements. Frontiers in Psychology. 2022.
Written by Ali Sparkes, Independent Prescribing Pharmacist & Founder of The Health Dispensary
