Interbrain Synchrony: Do International Sporting Events Bring Our Brains (and us) Closer Together?
This summer, North America hosted the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the first edition of the tournament with 48 teams. Fans from all over the world descended on Canada, Mexico, and the United States to watch their nations’ teams compete. There were plenty of memorable moments where tourists and locals came together to celebrate the historic tournament, from the Tartan Army taking over Boston to South Korean fans partying in Mexico City. For many spectators, this World Cup felt like a moment of mutual joy, and it seemed like FIFA truly proved its message of “Football Unites the World.” But beyond the fun and games of this tournament, is it possible that there’s something more biological underlying our feelings of goodwill and closeness?
Social interactions between humans can induce interpersonal synchrony, which results in synchronization on a behavioral, physiological, and neural level. Interbrain synchrony is a phenomenon where the brain activity of two or more interfacing people matches up. Not only are the same brain regions activated, but their brain wave patterns align temporally as well. There are five types of brain waves—gamma, beta, alpha, theta, and delta—each falling within a specific frequency range. Alpha, beta, gamma, and theta bands have all been shown to synchronize during different forms of social interaction.
Interbrain synchrony has been characterized extensively in two-person tasks, such as imitating hand movements and matching a partner’s tune while humming. Many interbrain synchronization studies involve problem-solving, as some neuroscientists believe that cooperation is necessary for brain wave alignment. In one computer game-based experiment, participants demonstrated brain synchronization when they worked together in the game, but not when they competed against each other.
Though interbrain synchronization between duos can occur across a variety of tasks, the conditions for these partner activities are rather rigid, and don’t reflect the dynamic atmosphere of a watch party or a stadium packed with thousands of other fans. However, studies in more naturalistic environments have shown that interbrain synchrony is not limited to partner activities observed in a lab. For example, students in the same class experienced brain synchrony as a group. The level of their synchrony also varied depending on the format of the lesson, as higher alignment was associated with videos and discussion activities.
One group of researchers even looked at interbrain synchrony at a concert, which is even more similar to a game time environment than the classroom. This particular study considered how the excitement of an event may factor into a participant’s brain synchrony. After measuring the brain activity of concert-goers, they found a correlation between pleasure-intensity levels and interbrain synchronization. The more two people were enjoying the show, the more their brain waves appeared to match up. Interestingly, people who were physically close to each other also gave their emotional state more similar ratings.
Based on these concert findings, it seems possible that fans watching the World Cup were on the same “wavelength” as well. Imagine you’re packed shoulder-to-shoulder in front of a TV at the bar, cheering on the underdog. Or you’re in the stadium, waiting for the exact moment to throw your arms up as the wave roars towards your section. Though researchers have yet to investigate whether spectators at a sports event experience interbrain synchrony, the factors that would induce synchronization are certainly there.
If our brain activity aligns with other people when we’re mimicking each other, collaborating, or enjoying the same event, could this lead to some interpersonal benefit? In the field of social cognition, there is growing interest in the theory that interbrain synchrony contributes to improved social dynamics. A meta-analysis across various papers suggests that interpersonal alignment impacts both prosocial attitudes, such as perceived unity and trust, as well prosocial behaviors like helping. In classroom studies, the strength of interbrain synchrony between students predicted the quality of class engagement and how close the class felt to each other. It would certainly be interesting to see what would happen if these prosocial effects were felt across a whole stadium’s worth of people.
This summer’s World Cup was an opportunity for soccer fans from around the world to connect with each other. Over the span of five weeks, strangers shared laughter and tears, and maybe even a few brain waves. As social neuroscientists continue to investigate the neural characteristics of human interactions, they should take advantage of events like these to dig deeper into how we think, act, and feel beyond our individual selves.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Erica Luo
Contributing Writer
Erica Luo is a research assistant at Rockefeller University with interests in the neuroscience of language and vocal behavior. She has been a contributing writer for Remember Magazine since August 2026.
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