An intriguing new study out of the University of Connecticut reveals something that may come as a surprise to international football (soccer to Americans) fans. In a testament to the social power of sports, UConn anthropology professor Dimitris Xygalatas and his team have found that it’s not just the games that bring fans together, it’s the rituals around them.
“Rituals are the kinds of things that, at first glance, don’t make any sense in terms of human behavior, but are deeply meaningful to people,” Xygalatas explained.
Methodology
Working with a Brazilian football fan club, the researchers tracked the heart rate patterns of a group of fans during an important match. Xygalatas’ team found that emotional synchrony jumped dramatically higher during a pre-game ritual known as “Rua de Fogo” (Street of Fire) than at any point during the match.
“What we see is that, in fact, the pre-game ritual generates more emotional synchrony than the game itself,” Xygalatas says. “There’s a single moment in the entire game when they have more collective emotional synchrony than the pre-game ritual, and that’s when they scored a goal.”
Held before a pivotal state championship match in Minas Gerais, the Rua de Fogo featured thousands of fans who lined the streets to welcome the home team’s bus. They waved flags, chanted in unison, and set off flares and fireworks.
To measure emotional alignment, researchers equipped the participants – even the bus driver – with portable ECG sensors. This allowed the researchers to analyze their heart rate patterns through Multidimensional Recurrence Quantification Analysis (MdRQA).
What they found surprised them. Emotional synchrony peaked not during the match’s key moments but during the pre-game festivities. Even the bus driver, who wasn’t an active participant, showed signs of what the researchers called “collective effervescence,” where group unity is amplified through shared emotional energy.
Why Rituals Matter
While the match itself – a 1-1 draw that handed victory to the visitors through penalty kicks – served up several emotionally charged moments, it couldn’t compete with the pre-game ritual.
It’s worth noting that this synchrony wasn’t limited to physical activity. Just being with others who shared a common identity was enough to induce this alignment.
The findings echo previous studies that showed how ritualized group behaviors (whether it’s a religious service, a concert, or even a protest) can drive physiological and emotional harmony.
Implications Beyond the Stadium
This study adds to a growing body of research highlighting the social power of collective experiences. The implications extend far beyond the stadium, revealing how humans connect with one another in large groups through shared emotional states.
“People attribute a lot of meaning to sports,” Xygalatas added. “Sports generate billions and billions of dollars globally, and they take up so much of people’s attention. And the reason they do that is not just because of what’s happening on the pitch. It’s because of these ritualized interactions that occur among the fans.”
In Brazil, where football is very nearly a religion, what the researchers witnessed could be exaggerated compared to other parts of the world. Even so, the study’s message remains clear. Collective rituals foster connection and belonging, creating a powerful “we” experience that transcends the event itself.
“By going to these events, we’re actually shaping our beliefs,” he says. “So, sports is not just an excuse for people to get together. It’s a driver of identity.”
More Than Just a Game
But the research also offers some practical takeaways. Rather than focusing solely on the main event, organizers (and marketers) can elevate the fan experience through structured pre-game rituals, strengthening emotional engagement and fan loyalty.
Ultimately, the study reminds us that sports always have been (and always will be) about more than competition. They’re communal experiences shaped by ritual, emotion, and shared identity.
“If we look at what makes us human, we realize that it’s our ability and our need to derive meaning from things that seem meaningless,” Xygalatas concluded.
And as he discovered, sometimes the things we remember most aren’t the final score, but the party that preceded it.
Further Reading
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