Japan's Fans Are Showing Incredible Class At 2026 World Cup

Japan have reached the FIFA World Cup for the eighth tournament in a row and many believe the team they've assembled this year is good enough to make a serious run. But as much as viewers at home may love the players, they've come to adore the fans just as much or maybe more.

Following their team's 2-2 draw with the Netherlands on Sunday, many Japan fans stayed after the game to help clean the stadium. Video shows fans putting on gloves to pick up trash, left-behind cups and everything else to plop them in garbage bags.

This is hardly the first time they've done this either. It has become a signature move by the Samurai Blue fans at the end of soccer games around the world, not just at the World Cup this year.

When asked why it's such a tradition, a fan interviewed explained that it's part of the culture and shows their "respect for everything."

"That's the culture. But it's like respect for everything. Respect for the players, supporters, and also for the stadium. We are honored to be here, so we don't want to make the mess and then leave it. So I think that's the reason why we're doing it," the fan said.

Respect for Japan's Fans

Sports fans around the world were delighted to see Japan's fans showing such a determination to clean up after the game and have been heaping the praise on them all week.

"Japan can come play in Texas anytime! Respect and will do the same in your country when I visit next year! Super excited!" one fan wrote.

"Japan doesn't clean stadiums because FIFA asked them to. They clean because their culture teaches that the space you occupy is not yours alone, it belongs to everyone who comes after you. That's not a football habit. That's a philosophy most countries haven't figured out yet," wrote another.

"There's no tournament they participate in that they never do this. They are awesome people for real," a third declared.

Japan's next two World Cup games will be at Estadio BBVA in Mexico against Tunisia on Saturday, followed by their final Group Stage game against Sweden at AT&T Stadium again the following Thursday.

By the sound of things, the cleaning crew at both stadiums are going to be way happier to hear it.

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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 10:41 AM.