From ‘The Wave’ to ‘Ole, Ole, Ole’: Mexico’s World Cup soccer traditions explained

People raise their arms during an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the largest Mexican wave, at Reforma avenue, in Mexico City, Mexico on June 06, 2026. - Daniel Cardenas/Anadolu/Getty Images

Many countries may claim to be the most passionate for soccer, but only Mexico is globally recognized for popularizing one of the sport’s most beloved rituals: The Wave.

Some 40 years after Mexico made the move famous at the 1986 World Cup, local officials say the country has just set a new record for “the biggest wave in the world,” days before the 2026 World Cup begins. After multiple practice runs on Saturday, thousands of people swayed in sync along a long stretch of Mexico City’s Paseo de la Reforma for several minutes.

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CNN has reached out to the Guinness World Records for confirmation.

The wave is one of a number of rituals that have become synonymous with Mexico’s footballing culture and will likely form a big part of the experience for the tens of thousands of overseas visitors expected to attend the 13 matches being played in Mexico.

In Mexico, fans say, soccer feels more a celebration than a competition.

“It’s like when you have a party at your house and you invite your friends over. Now it’s our turn to be the hosts,” said Christian, who attended a friendly match between Mexico and Serbia in Toluca on Thursday.

A week before the World Cup’s opening game – Mexico versus South Africa in Mexico City on June 11 – the Toluca stadium was already full of spirit. Drums, horns and cumbia music – a danceable genre characterized by powerful brass and accordions - played nonstop, effectively turning the arena into a giant dance club with cheers of “Olé, Olé, Olé.” Naturally, Mexican waves swept across the stands.

While the US and Canada are also hosting this year’s tournament, here’s a closer look at some of the traditions that are set to make Mexico the life of the party.

The ‘Mexican Wave’

Mexico fans perform a wave in the stands during a Mexico v Serbia match at Estadio Nemesio Diez, Toluca, Mexico on June 4, 2026. - Eloisa Sanchez/Reuters

A ritual performed in sporting events around the world today, the wave owes much of its fame to Mexico, even if it may not have been invented here.

The wave’s exact origin is disputed, but many believe it started in the US in the late 1970s or early 1980s and spread across North America. A few years later, fans in Mexico helped popularize it on a global scale when they performed it during the 1986 World Cup. That’s when millions of international spectators were first exposed to it and why many outside North America call it the “Mexican Wave.”

Mexico has since embraced the ritual so much so that some Mexicans consider it a symbol of their culture.

Fernando Vizcaíno, an expert on Mexican nationalism, says that when Mexicans perform the wave, they collectively embody their country.

“There’s no ball there, (fans) are not on the field, sometimes there’s no goal, and strictly speaking, there are no players involved. However, that movement, that wave, that successive ripple represents Mexico,” said Vizcaíno, a researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

Mexico City’s tourism department says the wave has changed the way sports are experienced and has become “a universal symbol of joy, brotherhood and euphoria.”

Fans of the Mexican team Toluca celebrate after winning the CONCACAF Champions Cup 2026 final match against Tigres UANL at Nemesio Diez Stadium on May 30. - Hector Vivas/Getty Images

Music, chants and noise

That sense of joy is also the result of the concert-like atmosphere in Mexico’s soccer stadiums.

Chants, cheers and songs are synonymous with football matches the world over, but the ones heard in Mexico are booming, visceral and constant.

“Believe me, with any genre of music, people immediately start partying,” said Gabriela, an operations coordinator at an auto parts store who was selling merchandise outside Toluca’s main stadium Thursday.

“I mean, especially with banda, corridos, grupera,” she added, citing other Mexican musical genres.

Often mixed in to the beat are noisemakers like matracas – wooden objects in the shape of flags that produce a loud clacking sound when spun – and plastic horns called cornetas, which fans use to keep the matches animated from start to finish. While these instruments might be heard loudly on the streets, they have been banned at the World Cup this year in Mexico to prevent excessive noise. Mexican authorities have previously expressed fears they could be used as weapons by rowdy fans.

A fans of Mexico cheers with a Matraca for their team during a 2026 Caribbean Series semifinal game between Puerto Rico and Mexico (Red) at Estadio Charros on February 6, in Zapopan, Mexico. - Norte Photo/Getty Images

In terms of cheers, “Chiquitibum” is one of the country’s most iconic. Popularized by a beer commercial during the 1986 World Cup, it’s used to rally on teams with its repetitive (albeit nonsensical) syllables as well as its upbeat ending.

But not all chants are celebratory. FIFA has previously imposed fines on the Mexican Football Federation over the use of slurs and offensive chants, and the federation has launched ad campaigns to try to stop them.

One of the most criticized uses a four-letter word widely considered homophobic. “It undoubtedly has a male chauvinist connotation, which refers on the one hand to the reiteration of the entrenchment of traditional masculinity, which is very characteristic of the majority of Mexican culture,” Vizcaíno of UNAM said.

‘Partidos en cantina’

Away from the stadiums, Mexico’s sports bars and eateries host lively viewing parties, called “partidos en cantina” in Spanish.

Here, people cheer on their teams while enjoying the foods and drinks Mexico is famous for, including locally brewed beers, savory tacos with lime and salsa, and spicy botanas (snacks) that can be shared with friends and family.

Fans of Mexican team Cruz Azul celebrate their victory in the final of the Torneo Clausura 2026 Liga MX at Angel de la Independencia on May 24, in Mexico City, Mexico. - Cristopher Rogel Blanquet/Getty Images

Among the most renowned establishments is Salon Corona, a restaurant and brewery in Mexico City’s historic center. It has hosted fans, celebrities and politicians during major games for decades – from World Cups to national championships.

“In the final of the Mexican league between Pumas and Cruz Azul, the people were chanting the cheers, waving their flags, and (doing) the wave too,” said manager Miguel Laguna.

Mexicans say that festive atmosphere is always on display when the game is on, whether it’s at a bar, at home or in a stadium.

“The truth is, in every World Cup, there’s always something that Mexico manages to showcase, right?” said Gabriela after Thursday’s match in Toluca.

“I think in every country, people are always talking about Mexico – always, always, always talking about Mexico: the people, the atmosphere, the music. So, I think that regardless of the game, people have fun, and I think that’s what’s important.”

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