FIFA World Cup: Why we root for the underdogs

Both on the screen and in sporting arenas, when a team looks beat, with their backs against the wall and not a hope in the world, we cheer them on all the more. What drives this instinct? Psychologists believe an unexpected outcome offers greater emotional payoff, and so we want the unfancied team to prevail. Backing the long shot also appeals to our sense of fairness. We want the world to be equitable, and a win for the underdog helps balance the scales of justice. And then, of course, there is schadenfreude, the vicious pleasure of seeing the mighty fall. Who, for instance, can deny the joy of watching Cristiano Ronaldo trip over his feet when trying to kick the ball?

And so, on account of these reasons, when we see real-life Bhuvans taking on colonialists — say, on a football pitch during a World Cup match — we immediately begin to wish for the impossible.

The decision to feature 48 teams, instead of the usual 32, in the 2026 Fifa World Cup has received rightful scrutiny. Football’s governing body has a reputation that is more soiled than a baby’s diaper, and much has been made of the grubby financial motives that drove this expansion. There were grumbles, too, of how this move would compromise “quality”. Could the minnows truly challenge the heavyweights? Was it not more likely they’d be swept aside by the elite? Perhaps, but you don’t become a sports fan unless you’re an incurable romantic; the sort who lives for those moments that turn the world upside down: Like Cabo Verde reaching the implausible realm of the knockout rounds.

An archipelago of 10 islands, pinpricks on a map of the Atlantic coast of West Africa, Cabo Verde (Cape Verde, in English) is playing its first World Cup. The country has half a million inhabitants — roughly the same number of people you’d find on a Sunday evening at Marine Drive. Not only have they turned out to be the biggest surprise of the tournament, they have also given us the only known instance of LinkedIn being used for something worthwhile. (Roberto Lopes, a Dublin-based defender with Cabo Verdean parentage, was recruited to the national side via a LinkedIn message.)

Earlier this week, however, a shadow was cast on the Cabo Verde football team during its brightest moment. Their captain is reported to be under investigation in New Zealand, following allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman who was hired to work with the squad. While the findings of the investigation may emerge only after the tournament is over, the reports have added to the disenchantment plaguing this World Cup. Even before the first kick of a ball, a belligerent host, extractive ticket pricing, and travel restrictions on fans, referees and teams had made it difficult to muster much passion for the event.

Perhaps finding other underdogs to champion can be the antidote that dispels this ennui. Congo came close to engineering one of the great World Cup upsets against England. Paraguay bested the four-time winners Germany after an incredible series of penalty kicks. Canada, the co-hosts, have made it to the Round of 16 for the first time. When these Davids troop out of the tunnel for their next World Cup game, perhaps lending them our voices will help enliven the contest. There will be the delight of manifesting an unlikely result, yes, but also that impish thrill of seeing Goliath step on a banana peel.

Banerjee is a lawyer