Like FIFA World Cup 2026 moving to the United States, traveling fans have been filling their days off with American tourist activities: going to MLB game.
From Fenway Park to Yankee Stadium, MLB stadiums are suddenly filled with pipers, kilts, Viking hats, flags, chants, and a new breed of baseball fans learning the game in real time.
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It all started on June 14, the day after Scotland beat Haiti 1-0 in Foxborough for its first World Cup win since 1990, when a group of Scottish fans marched past Boston and into Fenway Park for a Red Sox-Rangers game that was already slated to be Scotland’s Heritage Night. Kismet!
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Bands of fans wearing Scottish ribbons and jerseys filled the ballpark, chanted during the game, and created such an electric energy that Red Sox president Sam Kennedy wrote to the Scottish Football Association, thanking the Tartan Army for turning Fenway into “a meeting point between two sporting cultures.”
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From there, the tour of the football stadium continued. With several days between Scotland’s World Cup games, fans also headed to Yankee Stadium on June 16, taking over a section of the upper deck as the Yankees played the White Sox.
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But, no, they didn’t stop there.
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June 22, before Scotland’s World Cup match against Brazil, thousands Scotland fans marched from Ball & Chain in Little Havana to Depot Park for the Marlins game against the Texas Rangers.
Inside the ballpark, about 8,000 members of the Tartan Army were part of the announced crowd of 20,008. Founder Tyler Phillips called the atmosphere “unbelievable” in the press conference after the game and said, “I wish we could pay those people to come to the games.” (He may have been kidding, but the Marlins ticket office should at least listen to him.) Cody Freeman was also impressed.
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Scotland isn’t the only group of fans to bring World Cup energy to MLB. On June 24, a group of Norwegian fans showed up at Citi Stadium for the Mets’ game against the Cubs, shortly after Norway’s 3-2 victory over Senegal at MetLife Stadium helped send the team to the playoffs for the first time since 1998.
Norway fans turned the outside seats red, wore Viking hats, waved flags, danced in the stands, and held the now-defunct “Viking Row” celebration in the bleachers. Mr. and Mrs. Met even joined. We love to volunteer.
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Some of the World Cup teams are already close. On June 18, England’s national team visited Kauffman Stadium during the remaining World Cup in Kansas City, where manager Thomas Tuchel threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Royals game. According to social media, it was a strike, indeed.
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Rangers, meanwhile, have used this new fan base to build a World Cup theme advertisements around the tournament, including fútbol-style jerseys, an international scarf giveaway, country flag patches, and a “Texas Baseball Guide” for international visitors heading to Globe Life Field.
Baseball may not have been on every World Cup fan’s schedule, but it has been one of the best off-season surprises. It’s great to see everyone having a good time at regular season baseball games again, even if half the crowd is still looking for what should be a strike.
