Latino USA

The Art of Soccer Chants: The Good, The Bad, and their History

September 13, 2026·30 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

What would soccer be without fans? And what would a match feel like without them chanting at the top of their lungs? Chants are a way to express joy, patriotism, and frustration. They can also be funny, vulgar, and harmful.  We get into the history of chants and how they had nothing to do with sports for a long time. We speak to Andrew Lawn, author of  “We Lose Every Week: The History of Football Chanting” about the best chants from so many countries at the men’s World Cup, and ask why the U.S. just doesn’t have that special something when it comes to chants compared to the rest of the world.    Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa. Follow the show to get every episode. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for ad-free listening, early-access and exclusive bonus episodes with the chisme behind Latino USA and all our podcasts: www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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