27.06.2026, 16:19 Uhr

From referee announcements that went to viral and the hype around the Cape Verde goalkeeper to the dancing Dutch queen and Japanese housekeeping - the World Cup has offered plenty of entertainment away from the 90 minutes on the pitch

By Meyel Löning, dpa

The group stage is almost complete and the World Cup reduced to the 32 teams it contained in the past.

There has been criticism that the 48-team event was too blown up but there have been memorable moments on and off the pitch.

Following are some of the most entertaining and viral events:

New rules and irritation

FIFA introduced several new rules for the World Cup and goalkeepers and players have been punished for time-wasting at goal kicks and throw ins with the opposing team receiving the ball.

The most famous call however went to El Savador referee Iván Barton who sent off Paraguay's Miguel Almirón for covering his mouth in a confrontation with a Turkey player.

"After Review. Number 10 Paraguay covered his mouth. Decision is: Red Card!" Barton famously told the fans in the stadium and in front of their TVs via the public address system.

Brazilian referee Wilton Pereira Sampaio became an internet hit at home in this way over his accent in the English announcement and the way he formulated the red three cards given in the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa. A number of memes followed and videos showing confused South Africa players after his announcements were also popular.

The biggest internet hype however belongs to goalkeeper Vozinha of Cape Verde who sensationally reached the round of 32 where they will face Lionel Messi's title holders Argentina.

Vozinha, 40, made a number of super saves in their opening match against Spain, and Brazilian broadcaster Caze TV called for getting the keeper at least 100,000 followers on Instagram. Fans more than obliged as Vozinha now has close to 16 million followers.

Newcomers Curaçao wildly celebrated their first World Cup point after a 0-0 draw with Ecuador and Dutch King Willem Alexander, who is their head of state, and Queen Máxima wouldn't miss out.

Wearing the team's blue shirts, the royals joined the team in the dressing room and danced with players, coaches and officials.

It was a good day for Willem Alexander and Máxima because early that day they had also attended to Dutch 5-1 triumph over Sweden.

Levi's PR stunt

FIFA is very strict when it comes to World Cup sponsorships which meant that stadiums have to cover up their names sponsors. This has ranged from covering the sponsor name on all 60,000 seats with tape at the Foxborough stadium to covering the big stadium name sign in Santa Clara.

The rights at this California stadium are with jeans and apparel manufacturers Levi's, whose covering tarp was designed in such a way that the name and logo format remained completely recognizable, with this PR stunt earning them plenty of praise.

The Boston beer party

Scotland's Tartan Army arrived in force for their first World Cup in 28 years, with 30,000 said to have crossed the pond. The first two matches were in Foxborough, so Boston was made their home under the motto "No Scotland, no party" - ranging from bagpipe parades to putting the finishing touches to statues by putting a traffic cone on top.

They also had a wee bit to drink as local bars soon went dry. "We've been here for over 30 years and we have never seen anything like this," Noelle Somers managing director of Hennesey's Bar, told the Boston Globe, saying that St Patrick's Day sales had been "tripled."

Or, as Jennifer Monastesse, co-owner of an Irish pub, summed it up: "They're drinking everything."

Japanese housekeeping

Like at previous tournaments, Japan fans have tidied up the stadium before leaving. That has earned them a lot of praise again - but this time also a domestic backlash.

Social media users in Japan sensed a double standard of men cleaning in public while at home the woman has to do that job. One picture topped it all, a man cleaning a stadium and the same man on the couch at home looking at his mobile while his wife is doing the dishes.

The background is an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) study from 2021 which revealed that Japanese women spend a lot more time doing unpaid household work than men and that the Japanese men are among the least involved in such chores in highly developed countries.

Source: Dpa-international.com