{"id":4174,"date":"2026-07-03T14:04:32","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T14:04:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=4174"},"modified":"2026-07-03T14:04:32","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T14:04:32","slug":"world-cup-reveals-differences-in-sporting-culture-that-simply-wouldnt-fly-in-american-pro-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=4174","title":{"rendered":"World Cup reveals differences in sporting culture that simply wouldn\u2019t fly in American pro sports"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The beauty of the 2026 World Cup has opened our American eyes to the unique and passionate sporting cultures around the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Jaylen Brown says Celtics showed \u2018lack of respect\u2019 after trade to 76ers<\/a><\/p>\n

We have seen the Tartan Army drink Boston into oblivion. Officers and detainees celebrate together at a Paraguayan police station.Argentinians reunite a fan with his lost wallet after chanting his name in the concourse in Dallas.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the tournament has also revealed differences in culture that simply wouldn\u2019t fly in American pro sports.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Related: <\/span><\/span>World Cup scores, schedules<\/div>\n

For instance, take Monday\u2019s exhilarating match in Foxborough, a remarkable upset win by Paraguay over Germany. Paraguay won in penalty kicks, 4-3, after German defender Jonathan Tah launched his attempt over the net in the sixth round.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tah took the attempt, per the Fox Soccer official X account, \u201cafter (captain) Joshua Kimmich looked for a teammate to take the sixth penalty for Germany.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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That\u2019s an extremely diplomatic way of saying that several German players outright refused to take the PK. According to German newspaper Bild, \u201cLeon Goretzka, Waldemar Anton, Nathaniel Brown, and Malick Thiaw hesitated and dodged the challenge due to immense pressure.\u201d Indeed, the Fox broadcast showed Kimmich speaking with several players on the sideline before the attempt.<\/span><\/p>\n

Somehow, German manager Julian Nagelsmann did not establish his \u201cbatting order\u201d before the match. Somehow, players were allowed to say \u201cno.\u201d Tah, the man who finally raised his hand, had never attempted a PK in his pro career.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a series of events that is unfathomable in American pro sports. And if it did somehow happen, the criticism and shame from fans and media would be intense. The coach and players would have a difficult time recovering from that, reputationally.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another eye-opening incident occurred Monday night (and early Tuesday morning) in Mexico City, the night before Mexico defeated Ecuador, 2-0.<\/span><\/p>\n

Diehard Mexican fans camped outside Ecuador\u2019s hotel in the middle of the night, shooting fireworks, banging drums, honking horns, and creating a ruckus that puts Lunar New Year celebrations to shame.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201c(T)he Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) announces that it has lodged a formal complaint with the organizers,\u201d the team\u2019s official account posted on X. \u201cSuch conduct stands in stark contrast to the principles of fair play, equity, and unity that a World Cup should embody.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Here in America, we\u2019ve been known to occasionally pull a prank on a visiting team the night before a big game. One famous incident occurred nine years ago here in Boston, when a 25-year-old Patriots fan pulled the fire alarm at the Steelers\u2019 hotel the night before the 2017 AFC Championship game.<\/span><\/p>\n

Related: <\/span><\/span>More World Cup coverage<\/div>\n

But that was one fan making a bad decision. He was promptly arrested and told authorities, \u201cI\u2019m drunk. I\u2019m stupid. I\u2019m a Pats fan.\u201d Patriots fans reacted with shame, a sense that \u201cwe\u2019re better than this\u201d and didn\u2019t need silly hijinks to beat the Steelers at home.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Bruins development camp offered a hint of what\u2019s ahead for Quinnipiac<\/a><\/p>\n

But in the World Cup, Mexican fans starting World War III outside Ecuador\u2019s hotel is just chalked up to \u201chome-field advantage.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In another \u201cwhat did we just witness?\u201d moment, Senegal lost to Belgium on Wednesday, 3-2, after Belgium converted a penalty kick in the 125th minute, the latest goal in World Cup history. Belgium only got the PK after referee Said Martinez determined a foul had taken place after several minutes of a VAR review.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

I want to say this is akin to an NFL referee taking five minutes to review a play on instant replay, deciding to call pass interference, and awarding a team the ball on the 1-yard line in a tied playoff game with only seconds remaining.<\/span><\/p>\n

But even that comparison isn\u2019t apt, since scoring is more widespread in the NFL. A goal in soccer is incredibly rare and precious, and Martinez practically handed Belgium one on a platter, at the most critical juncture in the match, after taking several minutes with instant replay. It certainly didn\u2019t reach the \u201cclear and obvious\u201d threshold that has come to guide instant replay in the NFL and other leagues.<\/span><\/p>\n

The outrage would be overwhelming if this happened in American sports, especially given the billions of gambling dollars at stake. Stephen A. Smith wouldn\u2019t stop screaming about it for a month.<\/span><\/p>\n

Related: <\/span><\/span>Colombian pride sweeps East Boston as team advances in World Cup<\/div>\n

One last difference in our sporting cultures is a serious one \u2014 the participation of players facing significant criminal charges.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the NFL, players who face accusations and investigations are still allowed to play, but once charges are formally filed, the player is placed on leave via the \u201ccommissioner\u2019s exempt list\u201d until the case is adjudicated or the player serves a significant suspension. Here in New England, Jabrill Peppers was placed on the commissioner\u2019s exempt list for seven games in 2024 after being charged with assault, of which he was ultimately found not guilty.<\/span><\/p>\n

But in the World Cup, it\u2019s business as usual for Morocco defender and captain Achraf Hakimi, who faces rape charges in France from a 2023 incident.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hakimi, one of the best defenders in the world who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, lost an appeal before Morocco\u2019s June 19 game against Scotland in Foxborough, confirming that he will stand trial at an undetermined date. Hakimi challenged the charges, but his appeal was rejected by the Court of Appeal of Versailles. Hakimi defended himself on X.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJustice looked me in the eye and told me: \u2018If you were not famous, there would never have been a case,\u2019 \u201d Hakimi wrote.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hakimi heard whistles and jeers in Foxborough when he touched the ball, but his team is still supporting him as it advances through the World Cup.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are behind him,\u201d Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi said. \u201cHe\u2019s the best right back in the world. He\u2019s very important for me, for the team, the staff, and for 44 million Moroccans. That\u2019s it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more The Jaylen Brown trade was unprecedented for the Celtics, and other thoughts<\/a><\/p>\n

Somehow, I don\u2019t think that explanation would work here.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The tournament has opened eyes nationwide of the unique passion of the world’s game, but some things US sports fans won’t stomach upon review. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4173,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport"],"yoast_head":"\nWorld Cup reveals differences in sporting culture that simply wouldn\u2019t fly in American pro sports - Boston Relocation Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=4174\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"World Cup reveals differences in sporting culture that simply wouldn\u2019t fly in American pro sports - 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