The FIFA World Cup 2026 is officially in the books. But the dust is still far from settling. In fact, it will take the next four years to sort out everything that happened during another memorable event.
One of the interesting data points stemming from this year’s tournament was the stress level that some fanbases had to deal with.
Well, now there’s data to support which fans had the hardest time at the FIFA World Cup 2026. A study published by the folks at Casino Streamers showed football’s most stressed fans. And the results were interesting, to say the least.
The study produced the Fan Stress Index, focusing on goals conceded, matches decided by one goal or less, and matches decided in extra time or shootout.
Based on those totals, the Netherlands topped the list. While the Dutch squad got a big 5-1 win over Sweden on June 20, the fanbase suffered through an opening 2-2 draw against Japan. Then, its 3-1 win over Tunisia quelled the suffering fanbase.
But it was the shootout loss to Morocco in the Round of 32 that earned the Dutch a top Fan Stress Index of 70 at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
While the Netherlands gave its fans high blood pressure, the European side wasn’t the only one causing fans unusually high levels of stress.
Germany Caused Fans Undue Stress at FIFA World Cup 2026
The second-ranked club causing fans the most stress at this year’s World Cup was Germany. The German side got off to a fabulous start, routing Curacao 7-1 in its opening match.
But then, a tight 2-1 win over Côte d’Ivoire and a 2-1 loss to Ecuador put the Germans in a tough spot. The Fan Stress Index spiked in the Round of 32, as the shootout loss to Paraguay set the European side into a tailspin following the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Germany notched a 68.7 score based on the study, good for second.
Interestingly, Paraguay ranked third with a score of 68.6. While the win over Germany led to a national holiday in the South American country, the tight 1-0 loss to France in the Round of 16 gave fans plenty of drama to handle.
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Spain Ranked at Bottom of Stress Index
A relatively unsurprising result is that the two FIFA World Cup 2026 finalists, Argentina and Spain, ranked at the bottom of the Fan Stress Index.
Argentina, for its part, notched a 19.1 score. Spain ranked a little higher with a 26. The World Cup champions were dominant throughout the tournament. While the Iberian side had a couple of tight matches along the way, the team did not waver. That likely fed the rather low stress score for Spanish fans.
It’s worth pointing out that the final match against Argentina was a one-sided affair. So, there really wasn’t much concern from Spanish fans regarding the outcome. For Argentinian fans, it seemed as though the fanbase had accepted its fate long before the game-winner came in extra time.
Regardless of the actual stress level for fans, there’s no question that the FIFA World Cup 2026 was one of the most successful editions in history.
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