There were record breaking numbers of football fans supporting teams at Euro 2025 and watching on various media streams. At the 2019 World Cup in France, an estimated 82 million people were watching. This increased to 293 million for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. But what makes us support teams and players in the first place?
It would seem obvious that when a team is doing well, we all want to join in the success. That’s an easy one to answer. It does go deeper than that, though. So I chatted with a couple of members of Her Football Hub, and their responses brought the research literature to life, confirming our thoughts around what makes a football fan.
What motivates us to become football fans?
As humans, we have a number of basic psychological needs. These include autonomy (wanting to have free choice over what we do), competence (wanting to be good at something), and relatedness (wanting to be connected to others). The relatedness need plays a huge part in wanting to belong — to be part of a group with a common focus.
“I followed the team because my best mate was a fan.“
Football can easily fit into that common focus. It’s an exciting and unpredictable game. Especially international tournaments, where knockout rounds can lead to penalty shootouts. These are arguably some of the most painful and exciting moments in football, and the 2025 Euros delivered this in fine form.
“I got really hooked during 2019 World Cup… I began watching matches wherever I could and learned about all aspects of the game.“
Which type of football fan are you?
Family tradition
Sometimes there are strong family traditions and ties to following a team — ‘wearing the scarf my father wore’. Upholding these household rituals and taking over the mantle may be a free choice or could be an act of remembrance. Honouring a loved one no longer with us and keeping a connection with their memories. Over time, the magic of football fandom may become part of our choice after all.
“Although my dad loves football, I wasn’t overly into it when I was younger. The women’s Euros in 2022, that is what got me back. I found it a lot more accessible… I have been diehard fan ever since then.”
Passionate and hardcore fans
There are other categories of fandom, these are labelled passionate fans, core fans and hardcore fans. We can all argue that we are passionate in the lived experience of a football match. However, these fans will go out of their way to support their team. They will buy team merchandise and often travel miles to watch their team play. In this category, the ‘superfan’ will try to get to every game and watch other team matches.
“I try and go to as many as possible. I watch all of them… any game. I go to all the England games as well and travel away for them.“
“I attend as many matches as possible and support all of women’s football, but I do have some favourite teams and players.“
Netherlands fans show their support as they arrive at the stadium prior to the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 Group D match between England and Netherlands at Stadion Letzigrund on July 09, 2025 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
Supporters
The supporters’ category are fans who will mostly only watch their team’s games. They buy merchandise from their team to show belonging. There are also casual fans. These fans will watch regularly but will not necessarily go out of their way to get to every home and away game. Casual fans are classed as the non-travelling fan, watching mostly home games. The increase in social media coverage means they can stream away game highlights. Successful performances increase interest and subsequently the fan base.
“I attend all my team’s games home and away, they are in a local league so it’s easier. But if we have a free weekend then I might go to another game. For international tournaments, I go to any game to see the teams I would not normally see.“
What are the benefits of being a football fan?
Remember the three psychological needs? Well, the need for relatedness and belonging is a major reason and benefit from being a fan. When we meet our psychological needs, we feel a sense of achievement. We feel happier, more content and satisfied. Then add on the group environment where we feel euphoric when our team has won or played well. When we humans gather together in large groups, we experience an endorphin release. This feeling is similar to attending music festivals or in a night club when everyone is focused on being there in the moment. Supporting teams and attending matches will also provide an endorphin rush.
“…football is a massive part of my personality, so I feel a bit lost when I don’t have it… It definitely helps my mental health… it always gives me something to look forward to.”
We get a sense of pride and joy in being together, surrounded by like-minded people. This creates a sense of community which in turns fosters an increase in self-esteem and camaraderie, boosting morale. We can escape daily life and everyday worries by becoming involved and engrossed in watching matches. Often, we can make friends among the crowd and create positive long-lasting memories in the stands. Sharing both the winning experience and the feelings of frustration when losing or not playing well, brings us closer together.
“I just love how passionate football fans are, and I love being able to be just as passionate about the game… I love being part of it. It gives me something to be excited about.”
Collective ecstasy and shared agonies
The game of football, as we know, is an emotional rollercoaster. Just when you think things are going well, there is a counterattack. Strangely enough, losing seems to glue fans together even more tightly. Together in hardship but showing some optimism bias about losing well or playing better the next time. This shared impact helps to regulate our emotional response to losing or not playing well. We can focus on the detail of the match and pick apart the minutiae, conversing in person or online to ease our frustration.
“…makes you a more well-rounded person and become aware of people’s different cultures and ways of doing things… do I get stressed, definitely from the stress that the Lionesses put on you. But it depends on what type of person you are… I am more level-headed.”
The overwhelming feeling of winning and scoring are an experience to remember. Jumping out of your seat and shouting or screaming at the top of your lungs, hugging the people around you are spontaneous moments of pure joy. Your team’s fans all feel the same, even if they express themselves differently.
“I get the happy, excited nervous before a match, and I love it! I don’t ever want to lose that sense of excitement, fear, and anticipation before a match.”
Social networks and identities
It is common for those who attend games on their own to make friends with the fans around them. It is also common for individuals to identify so closely with their favourite player/s that there is a sense of shared identity. When the player has a good game, the fan’s own sense of self-esteem is boosted, especially if the team goes on to win. The fans start to feel the emotions of the players they follow. Winning and losing can then start to feel personal.
“… [do you get stressed?] it depends on how high stakes it is… I am better if I am there in person as everyone feels the same… [at home] I’m running around, shouting at the game, why are you doing that? But there are 90 000 people here [in the stadium] who feel exactly the same… and that helps calm me down.”
As it is so difficult to predict the outcome of matches, fans can feel nervous and anxious about the game. When we feel this worried, it is usually about things which we cannot control. We often adopt other rituals that we can control to compensate. Wearing kit, meeting up prior to matches at fan zones, singing and cheering all create this heightened sense of community and are within the control of fans. These actions help to alleviate our anxiety and worry about the end result.
“In league games I am not usually nervous, you can right the wrongs next week. But in knockout or tournament international matches… I go quiet and want people to leave me alone.”
Home advantage
An important role that fans can fulfil revolves around the influence they may have on the game itself. Research shows that playing home matches increases the number of goals scored at home games and reduces the number of cards shown during matches. This leads to an increased likelihood of a home win. Whilst there are other factors involved in home advantage such as, familiarity of the ground and facilities, or travel fatigue for example, the effect of the ‘twelfth player’ should not be underestimated.
Evolving fan consumption
Social media has undoubtedly changed the way we consume football and follow matches. The social connection can be from in-person attendance at games and through post-game analysis and chat on social media channels. Those superfans can access most matches within the same league or intercontinental leagues to keep up with all the football news. These platforms enable a diverse audience. Today’s fans may support more than one team. A local or regional team plus a high-profile club. Fandom may not include the entire team but just to follow a favourite player. When that player moves teams, the fan may switch team allegiance or incorporate another team into their fanaticism.
“I watch most of my football online, because it is the most accessible option for me.”
As ticket and travel costs increase, social media consumption of football is a manageable way to maintain your football fix. It can have negate impacts on family commitments, especially for away games. Social media can provide a relatively safe environment for fans to comment on the match results and player performances. Although we should remember, it is easier to criticise match play when you are partially hidden by screens. Analysing team performance can provide that common focus to further enhance social connectedness. However, too much negativity can often bring fans running to defend the team and players online.
If you want to hear what I think, go to https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002gbbs and listen from 29:30.
Some of HFH picked out their favourite things about being a football fan
“It’s a nice sense of community, within your club and within your country, there’s a nice atmosphere… I have made friends through football… they support other teams or clubs in different countries… the relationships that you can build from football is one of the most important things for me… You belong somewhere.”
“Far and away the football community. I have met some of the best people in my life due to my involvement in football, and I am so happy about it. And I love to see how the women’s football community is very supportive of each other. I am proud to be part of that.”
‘”..it’s the people you meet. I have made friends across the world that I would never have met if not for football. It has taken me to places and allowed me to do things I never thought I would.”
What is your favourite thing about being a fan?
Related articles from Her Football Hub:
- From a 50-year ban to the 500th game: The history of England Lionesses
- Signal & Noise: New documentary on England women’s blind team shows what it takes to be a Para Lioness
- A new chapter begins: San Marino launch first women’s senior national team