New research reveals why soccer fans feel ecstatic after a win and furious after a loss — and how those same brain circuits may explain social and political fanaticism.
Scientists in Chile used functional MRI (fMRI) to study 60 male soccer fans of two rival teams. Participants watched clips of goals scored by their own team, their rivals, and neutral teams. The scans revealed striking differences in brain activity depending on the outcome.
When a fan’s team scored, their reward circuitry — linked to pleasure and motivation — fired intensely. This activation was far stronger when the victory came against a rival, showing how competition strengthens emotional bonds and social identity.
When the rival team scored, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) — the region responsible for self-control — went quiet. This paradoxical suppression means the brain’s ability to manage emotion temporarily shuts down, explaining why fans sometimes react impulsively or aggressively during tense moments.
Lead author Dr. Francisco Zamorano of Universidad San Sebastián explains that these emotional circuits form early in life through caregiving, social learning, and exposure to stress. This developmental wiring determines whether passion turns into healthy excitement or harmful fanaticism later on.
The study, published in Radiology (RSNA), suggests that understanding these brain patterns can improve crowd management, conflict prevention, and public communication. The same “reward-up, control-down” effect seen in soccer fans may also drive political polarization and social division.
Dr. Zamorano emphasizes that early emotional care is the strongest defense against future fanaticism. “Societies that neglect early development,” he warns, “don’t avoid fanaticism — they inherit its harms.”
Ultimately, the passion that makes soccer thrilling also exposes a deeper truth: the human brain craves belonging — but when control fails, loyalty can turn into fury.
