Sports
History of the ‘Mexican Wave’ Explained
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?
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.
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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.
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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?
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.
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Tottenham have beaten their rivals Manchester United in the race to sign Mateus Fernandes this summer, as David Ornstein reports that Spurs are now in pole position to complete a move for the West Ham midfielder.
It comes as both teams have been battling it out to land the Portuguese star, who has impressed in the past two seasons for the Hammers and Southampton, despite suffering back-to-back relegations from the Premier League.
There has been intense interest, even beyond Spurs and the Red Devils, as Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and Arsenal were all credited with interest too.
However, it seems as though Tottenham have won the race over Man United for Fernandes’s signature.
How Tottenham Won Fernandes Race
Both Tottenham and Man United battled it out to land Fernandes, but the report from Ornstein claims that it is now Spurs who will sign the midfielder to bolster their ranks.
It’s claimed that the Lilywhites have submitted the best proposal to West Ham, offering roughly £85 million in guaranteed transfer funds for the 21-year-old.
It’s a huge fee that Man United were simply not willing to match, with Fernandes also committing to joining Tottenham over the coming days of the transfer window.
The Red Devils will now move on to other midfield targets, having already agreed a deal to sign Brazilian midfielder Ederson from Atalanta, while they monitor other options who could strengthen their central ranks.
Both Tottenham and Man United have shown interest in Sandro Tonali, a saga that could now change as a result of Tottenham’s move for Fernandes, but it’s unclear whether that deal will transpire for either club.
As for Spurs, Fernandes is set to become the North London club’s fifth signing of the summer transfer window, having already sealed moves for Jan Paul van Hecke, Martin Dubravka, Marcos Senesi, and Andy Robertson.
Fernandes will take the overall summer transfer spend to roughly £137 million in total, with more spending expected in the coming weeks, if the club continue to target new options.
This is a developing story, more to come as it breaks…
We’ve all seen it; countless footballers across the world love to sport wrist tape when they play and nobody has ever really explained why.
Everyone from Phil Foden, Karim Benzema, Neymar — and even Jamie Vardy — have been known to do so and many more can be seen week in, week out doing the same.
But the reason isn’t always the same: here’s what’s actually going on.
Reason 1: Injury Prevention
Safety first, there are multiple ways in which a player can succumb to injuries of the wrist and hands. The high-energy, high-contact nature of the sport sees players regularly come into contact with one another, risking damage to the joints, wrists and fingers.
An expert voice — former Cardiff City physio Ben Warbuton — explained that there are two functions: preventive and protective. One helps to reduce the risk of injury from falling, whilst it can also help reduce extension of the wrist too.
Reason 2: Playing Through Existing Injuries
One high-profile example of this is Manchester City‘s Foden. Having fractured his hand in early 2024, he became synonymous with it throughout their Premier League title run, across Euro 2024 and into the following campaign.
Referring back to Warburton’s previous comments, “Taping can give reassurance after an injury. This can give massive confidence to a player, making them feel they can play aggressively — and should they fall, their wrist is slightly protected.”
Neymar was a prime example. He used zinc-oxide athletic tape to support his wrist joints. As one of the most fouled players in football history, it was certainly a protective measure.
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Reason 3: Psychology and Rituals
For some players, it is akin to a pre-match ritual. Most players have some kind of personal routine. From a physical standpoint, it may not be required if they have no current injury or risk, but the routine itself can provide a sense of focus and readiness.
One famous ritual – or good luck charm – was Vardy’s blue wrist strap. Originally there to help him recover from two broken bones, delaying surgery ensured he had to wear the lightweight cast, but it coincided with a generational run of form that saw him match a goalscoring record before making history with the 2015/16 title win.
Reason 4: Goalkeepers and Tactics
One position that hasn’t been referenced yet is the one that typically utilises it the most: goalkeepers. As already covered, protecting fingers and wrists is a key reason for tape, but it takes on added importance for keepers to combat the force of shots and awkward dives.
It can also be tactical; they can also place notes on their tape for penalty situations. That’s if it hasn’t been printed off and stuck to their water bottle, of course.
Reason 5: Style
This final one certainly lies within personal preference. Sometimes the look is all about aesthetics rather than function. For some, it forms part of a visual identity, or a way to differentiate from the crowd.
Others, such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suárez, looked to hide certain objects such as a fitness tracker and a good luck bracelet under the strapping.
England’s next World Cup opponents will be the DR Congo as Thomas Tuchel’s squad look to advance from the Round of 32. England and the DR Congo will face off for the very first time, with the encounter taking place in Atlanta, Georgia.
England remain one of the tournament favourites after qualifying from the group stage unbeaten. But does the African nation pose a threat to the Three Lions’ World Cup crusade?
Who are DR Congo?
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Country: |
Democratic Republic of Congo |
|---|---|
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Continent: |
Africa |
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Population: |
124 million |
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Capital City: |
Kinshasha |
Formerly named Zaire, the Democratic Republic of Congo is the second-largest country in Africa, with a population of approximately 124 million. The country was renamed the DR Congo in 1997 after President Mobutu Sese Seko was overthrown by rebel forces.
The country’s relatively new name is in reference to the great Congo River that flows through the country. The river’s name is derived from the historic African Kingdom of Kongo and the indigenous Bakongo people who lived in the region.
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DR Congo Record at World Cup 2026
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DR Congo 2026 World Cup Record |
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Date |
Result |
DR Congo Scorer(s) |
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17/6/2026 |
Portugal 1-1 DR Congo |
Yoane Wissa |
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24/6/2026 |
Colombia 1-0 DR Congo |
None |
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28/6/2026 |
DR Congo 3-1 Uzbekistan |
Yoane Wissa (2), Fiston Mayele |
Who are the Best DR Congo Players?
Northern-based England fans will be all too familiar with two of the DR Congo’s biggest threats. Newcastle striker Yoane Wissa is rediscovering his form after an injury-plagued start to life on Tyneside. He has netted three times in the World Cup already, making him the top scoring African player in the group stage.
Noah Sadiki was a pivotal part of Sunderland’s excellent 7th-place finish in the Premier League, earning them Europa League qualification. An energetic and forward-thinking midfielder, expect him to link well with Wissa.
DR Congo’s rearguard offers significant top-level pedigree too. Team captain and all-time leading appearance maker Chancel Mbemba is incredibly experienced at club and international level. The 31-year-old previously played for Newcastle as part of the squad that won the Championship in 2017. He is supported ably by West Ham’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Burnley’s Axel Tuanzebe in defence.
But the wildcard for the DR Congo is their veteran striker Cedric Bakambu. The 35-year-old is well travelled and has previously won the Golden Boot in both the Chinese and Greek Super Leagues. Bakambu contributed four goals in World Cup qualifying and is now just one goal behind the country’s all-time leading goalscorer, Dieumerci Mbokani.
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DR Congo Manager and Style of Play
- Manager: Sebastien Desabre
- Style of Play/Tactics: 5-3-2 or 4-4-2
Manager Sebastien Desabre is well-versed in international football, having coached both Uganda and the DR Congo during a 20-year managerial career. The Frenchman guided the DR Congo to the semi-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. He also led them to impressive victories over Cameroon and Nigeria in World Cup qualification.
Desabre has shown tactical fluidity during the World Cup. The DR Congo adopted a five-man backline against Portugal and Colombia, earning a well-deserved point against Roberto Martinez’s side. But for their 3-1 win over Uzbekistan, Desabre was more offensive, opting for a 4-4-2.
With 29 clean sheets in their previous 57 games under Desabre, the African nation can soak up the pressure when required. This has paired well with a strong counter-attacking style boosted by the pace of Wissa and Sadiki.
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