Sociology 101: 'Collective ecstasy' at 2026 World Cup – from Messi and Brunson to the Tartan Army

PHILADELPHIA — A small section of orange shirts in a sea of ​​yellow burst at the seams Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field when Amad scored the winning goal for Ivory Coast against Ecuador in the 90th minute. After the final whistle – 1-0 – the emotions were unfiltered. Fans called relatives in Ivory Coast who watched at 1 a.m., arms went around shoulders, and a spontaneous dance procession ensued on the way to the nearest train station. It's the kind of moment that has a name in lecture halls, but is most felt in stadiums: 'collective ecstasy'.

That term describes the otherworldly feeling that arises when a crowd of strangers moves as one body. “It's not enough to be in the same room,” said Christina Simko, an associate professor of sociology at Williams College. “You need a common focus and mood, and through that physical interaction something is created that is greater than the sum of its parts: emotional electricity that lifts people beyond themselves.”

That spark spreads everywhere. In New York, fans poured into the streets en masse to celebrate the New York Knicks' first championship in 53 years. In Boston, the Tartan Army sang “I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)” well past the end of the song. In crowded subway compartments, the Ecuadorian “Sí se puede” sounded in perfect cadence. These are images that fit the rhythm of this sporting summer - with the 2026 World Cup as the beating heart.

It does not surprise sociologists that the imagery is often religious. Émile Durkheim coined 'collective ecstasy' as early as 1912, long before the first football World Cup, to describe the sublime experience of the sacred. “The sacred occurs when people rise above themselves and become more than individuals – a collective, a society,” explains Megan Robb, an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Pennsylvania who teaches a course on sports and religion.


According to Robb, four building blocks are needed for collective ecstasy: a real group (no individual can achieve it alone), extremely strong emotions, emotional 'contagion' that quickly spreads from person to person, and striking, sometimes exuberant behavior. Recognizable on stands, squares and in parades.

The same dynamics can also go off the rails. “People sometimes do things in a crowd that they would never do individually,” says Simko. Think of arrests during title parties, or incidents on the street. But more often it explains the joy that makes sport unique. “In a time of fractured institutions and fragmented debate, sport gives us the power to rise above differences and feel part of one community,” says Robb.

Whether it's the nightly alarm clock for a ceremony, Democratic Republic of Congo fans celebrating their World Cup debut (1-1 against Portugal), or the tears and paint on cheeks at the final whistle: these moments “make you more than an individual,” says Robb, “and incorporate you into what you might call the soul of society.”

From Lionel Messi to Jalen Brunson, from the Tartan Army to the fans of Ivory Coast and Ecuador in Philadelphia: the 2026 World Cup shows how football – and sport in general – unleashes that collective ecstasy. It is precisely that emotional flow that makes stadiums vibrate and cities sing.

---## Related Articles

1. [Why the Referee for Tunisia – Japan is Wearing a Special Orange Shirt](https://pitchpulsemedia.com/en/news/why-the-referee-for-tunisia-japan-is-wearing-a-special-orange-shirt) 2. [Tyler Adams Unfazed by Yellow Card Ahead of USA vs. Australia](https://pitchpulsemedia.com/en/news/tyler-adams-unfazed-by-yellow-card-ahead-of-usa-vs-australia)