3 2018 World Cup Stories of Kindness That Will Restore Your Faith In Humanity

Kindness comes in different forms in the most unexpected places. While events like the FIFA World Cup bring out the competitiveness of people, it also brings out the best in them.

Proof of this comes in the form of viral photos and videos posted on social media. This year’s episode of the international football tournament held in the city of Sochi in Russia became an avenue for inspiring tales of kindness that will leave you speechless.

1. Japan’s Creed of Respect

The Japanese have always been admired for their honorable and respectful nature all over the world and the 2018 FIFA World Cup was no exception. A video of Japan’s football fans spectating the match between Colombia and Japan became viral on social media.

According to BBC, they refused to leave the stadium even after the game concluded with a score of 2-1 in favor of the Japan team. However, their reason for staying was not something most people would have expected: they collected trash.

Soccer coach applauds Japanese fans' gesture that left the Russian stadium clean

This caught the attention of soccer coach Christopher McKaig who shared a footage that captured the moment on camera on his Twitter account. The post has since been retweeted nearly 3,000 times and liked by 5,400 social media users. That is, of course, on top of hundreds of comments from people who applauded the gesture.

Japan-based journalist Scott McIntyre explained that the gesture wasn’t just because of football— it was a reflection of an important aspect of the Japanese society that was honed since childhood.

“I think it’s a wonderful thing that the World Cup brings so many nations and people together and get to learn and exchange these kinds of things. That’s the beauty of football.”

2. Mexico and Colombia’s Fan Help

While some people were not happy that Colombian fans didn’t follow the Japanese’s example at keeping the stadium clean, some of them still got a commendation for a heartwarming deed for a differently abled man.

Latino football fans were applauded on Twitter for helping a man in wheelchair enjoy the World Cup

According to an unofficial Twitter account for the English Premier League, Mexico and Colombia fans helped an Egyptian team fan on a wheelchair by lifting him up for a better view of the game.

In the photo, the man can be seen cheering his team on while at least four people hold him up. The gesture caught on camera has already gained over 2,000 retweets and 6,200 likes.

3. Senegal’s Classy Gesture

Refusing to be outdone, Senegal fans kept their section of the stadium clear after their astounding victory with Poland. The unusual sight got over 7,000 “talking” on Twitter.

The video, which was also shared an unofficial Twitter account for the 2018 World Cup, already has a whopping 9 million views.