It begins with a handful of people. Someone jumps to their feet, arms in the air, and then the person next to them follows, then the next, then the next, until a ripple of human hands is sweeping around an entire stadium like a tide rolling in from the sea.

The Mexican wave is one of sport’s most universally recognised rituals, a piece of collective theatre that can turn 50,000 strangers into a single, synchronised unit. It needs no instruction, no referee and no training; it just happens.

But where did it come from, why does it work the way it does, and what does Mexico have to do with any of it? The answers are more surprising than you might expect.

What is a Mexican Wave?

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In technical terms, a Mexican wave is what’s called a transverse wave: the spectators themselves move only vertically, standing up and sitting back down, but the wave they create travels horizontally around the stadium. The result, when viewed from above or from a camera on the far side, is a ripple of people moving in near-perfect unison, like a slow-motion breaker rolling along a coastline.

The mechanics are simple. A small cluster of fans in one section stands up with their arms raised, then immediately sits back down. The section beside them, seeing this, follows. Then the next section. Then the next. The wave is self-sustaining; each group of fans is simultaneously reacting to those just before them and triggering those just ahead.

It can take as few as 30 fans standing simultaneously to trigger a wave, with most going in a clockwise direction. The wave is, in short, a beautifully simple piece of crowd physics.

Where and When Did it Originate?

For many people around the world, it may seem like an obvious question. But the truth is considerably more complicated, and the real origin of the wave lies several thousand miles to the north, in the stadiums of the United States.

The strongest claim to inventing the wave belongs to a professional cheerleader known as Krazy George Henderson. Armed with a drum, a pair of cut-off jeans and an almost supernatural ability to animate a crowd, Henderson had spent years refining his craft at sporting events across North America.

On October 15 1981, at the Oakland Coliseum during a Major League Baseball playoff game between the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees, he finally unleashed it on a major stage. After a couple of failed attempts, it clicked. The wave circled all three decks of the stadium multiple times. It was nationally televised, and Henderson claims that this was the day the wave was born.

From those American beginnings in the early 1980s, the wave spread rapidly through US sports culture, appearing at NFL games, College Football, Baseball and beyond. By 1984, Henderson had even led one at a football match at the Los Angeles Olympics. Mexican crowds picked it up too, took to it enthusiastically, and made it a fixture of their football culture.

Why is it Called the Mexican Wave?

Reuters

The name comes down to one tournament: the 1986 FIFA World Cup, held in Mexico. While the wave had been circulating through North America stadiums for several years by that point, it was the global broadcast of the 1986 competition that introduced the spectacle to the television audiences across Europe, Asia, Africa and beyond, most of whom had never seen anything like it.

To those watching from outside the Americas, the wave appeared to be a Mexican invention. The packed, passionate crowds at The Azteca and other venues performed it so often, and so joyfully, that it became inseparably associated with that summer. Broadcasters and commentators from English-speaking countries began calling it the Mexican wave, and the name stuck.

In North America, where people had been doing it for five years before 1986, it is still known simply as the wave. But for the rest of the world, Mexico got the credit, and Mexico got the name. It is perhaps one of the most ironic pieces of sporting branding in history: an American invention that became a Mexican icon.

Manchester United’s pursuit of midfield reinforcements has been well documented so far this summer, as the Red Devils look to build under Michael Carrick.

Carrick led United to a third-place finish in the Premier League and subsequent Champions League qualification as interim manager and has since had his contract made permanent.

Now, the English giants are looking to build a squad capable of competing in all four competitions this season and a major part of that refurbishment is in the middle of the park.

Casemiro has already departed following the expiration of his contract while Manuel Ugarte is set for a significant period of time on the sidelines after suffering knee ligament damage while playing for Uruguay at the World Cup.

The Red Devils have already seen an attempt to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest fail with the England star set to join rivals Manchester City instead. However, United are still making progress in their bid to reinforce their core.

Man Utd still pushing for Mateus Fernandes

One of the midfielders most strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer has been West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Red Devils, as well as Tottenham Hotspur, are in contact with West Ham and Fernandes’ agent “every day”.

“Man United and Tottenham are every day in contact with West Ham and every day in contact with the agent of the player, Jorge Mendes,” Romano said on his YoutTube channel. “I told you that the player is open to joining both clubs, Tottenham or Man United. This depends on the clubs, on who can go to West Ham and agree the fee.

“So, that’s the point. The transfer fee [is] around £85million-plus, and also [it is] important to mention payment terms, so details of the Mateus Fernandes story depend on the club. I keep telling you West Ham will sell to the club ready to spend the best money. Then, [it is] important to say, even after the injury of Manuel Ugarte, Manchester United remained in active conversations for Mateus Fernandes. They are not giving up on him.”

West Ham are not in a position where they have to sell Fernandes having bought the Portuguese from Southampton less than a year ago. However, the Hammers’ relegation to the Championship means it is going to be increasingly difficult for them to keep hold of the 21-year-old who is subject to significant interest from clubs in the Premier League and across Europe.

United would be the best destination for Fernandes

via Reuters

After two seasons in the Premier League with two clubs, Fernandes has ended up being one of the star players in poor teams that have been relegated.

The 21-year-old featured in 36 of West Ham’s 38 Premier League matches last season, scoring three goals and registering four assists but is considered one of the most exciting young midfielders in Europe.

Now, he deserves the opportunity to see how he copes on the biggest stage playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world.

United are not only that but can also offer Champions League football this season, while at Spurs there is still some uncertainty around just how much improved they are going to be on the back of their disastrous campaign last term.

£85million is a significant transfer fee for a player who hasn’t yet proven himself in such an environment, but there is plenty of excitement about what the midfielder can develop into if nurtured properly.

Germany fans aren’t happy with one player in particular after a damning report emerged following their penalty shootout defeat against Paraguay at the 2026 World Cup.

Julian Nagelsmann’s side finished top of Group E after beating Ivory Coast and Ecuador. Their reward was a last 32 tie against Paraguay.

Germany would have fancied their chances of defeating Paraguay and making it to the last 16. However, they were far from their best at the Boston Stadium.

Julio Enciso gave the Paraguayan’s a shock lead just before half-time, before Kai Havertz restored parity just after the break. The match went all the way to a penalty shootout and it was Paraguay who progressed in sudden death.

Germany Star Blasted For Actions During Penalty Shootout

Jonathan Tah, who had a goal controversially ruled out in the 103rd minute, stepped up to take Germany’s sixth penalty. The Bayern Munich defender sent his spot-kick flying over the bar, condemning Germany to defeat.

It has now been revealed that Tah took the sixth spot-kick after several of his teammates shied away.

According to BILD, there was internal difficulties in finding a sixth penalty taker. It’s reported that several players ‘hesitated and ducked out of’ taking the spot-kick.

Leon Goretzka, Waldemar Anton, Nathaniel Brown, Malick Thiaw and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer were all on the pitch and could have taken the sixth penalty, but none of them fancied their chances. With others hesitating, Tah, who has never taken a spot-kick in his professional football career, stepped up, but he could not hit the target.

Germany fans are not happy at all with Goretzka. Many think the experienced midfielder, who was subbed on in the second half, should have stepped up and taken a penalty.

“This is disgraceful,” one wrote, while another said: “Letting a central defender take a decisive penalty. Serious cowardice from a player with over seventy caps for his country.”

A third commented: “Goretzka is such a coward. He’s a 31-year-old attacker who has experience of scoring in a shootout yet leaves a centre-back to step up for his first kick.”

A fourth wrote: “If a player with as much experience as Goreztka backs out and lets a guy who’s never taken a penalty before take his place, that should be the end of his international career.”

A fifth said: “Goretzka should never be named to the national team again. What a coward move,” while a sixth stated: “It’s legitimately insane that Goretzka, one of the most senior members of the team, a part of multiple World Cups and probably seen as one of the locker room leaders, didn’t step up when needed.”

Julian Naglesmann Won’t Resign as Germany Manager

REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Nagelsmann has expressed his desire to continue as Germany manager despite their shock exit. He said, per the Guardian:

He added: “If we did a survey today in Germany people would not speak positively about me today. But in football you win some and you lose some, it’s always been that way, we haven’t really done much in this tournament to make people celebrate, but I have a lot of confidence that we could have done a better job.

“But I don’t think that everyone in Germany will agree with me staying on as manager of the Mannschaft. It was very difficult because they were ultra-defensive. We didn’t give enough. When you exit the World Cup after you play Paraguay then it is very bitter. If you do not score many goals then it is not enough. It is very hurtful.”

Nagelsmann has been Germany’s manager since 2023. He has won 23 of his 37 games in charge.