Collective mind

The official ball of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Illustration: depositphotos.com

What does the World Cup do to our brains?

Prof. Simone Shamai-Zuri from the University of Haifa explains why a goal for the national team feels like a personal victory, how “joy for the team” is created against the opponent, and why watching football together turns us into an emotional team for a moment.