Researchers have used functional MRI to scan the brains of soccer fans, uncovering how victories amplify reward signals while defeats suppress cognitive control. The study, published in Radiology, highlights neural circuits linking sports fandom to broader forms of fanaticism. These findings suggest early life experiences shape emotional responses that can extend to political and social conflicts.
A team led by Francisco Zamorano, a biologist and Ph.D. in medical sciences at Clínica Alemana de Santiago and associate professor at Universidad San Sebastián in Santiago, Chile, investigated the neuroscience of soccer fandom. They scanned 60 healthy male fans aged 20-45 who supported two historically rival teams using functional MRI, which tracks brain activity via blood flow changes. Participants first completed the 13-item Football Supporters Fanaticism Scale, assessing inclination to violence and sense of belongingness.
During scans, fans watched 63 goal clips from their team, rivals, or neutral teams. Brain responses differed sharply in rivalry scenarios: victories against rivals boosted activity in reward regions more than non-rival wins, strengthening in-group bonds and social identity. Defeats, however, showed paradoxical suppression in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), a key area for cognitive control, where efforts to restrain emotions intensified them instead.
"Rivalry rapidly reconfigures the brain's valuation-control balance within seconds," Zamorano said. This effect was strongest among the most devoted fans, whose self-regulatory systems faltered under threat to team identity, potentially leading to impulsive reactions.
The study positions soccer as a model for fanaticism, with implications beyond sports. "The same neural signature -- reward up, control down under rivalry -- likely generalizes beyond sport to political and sectarian conflicts," Zamorano explained. He linked it to events like the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol assault, where reduced dACC activation mirrored compromised control.
Zamorano emphasized prevention through early development: "These very circuits are forged in early life: caregiving quality, stress exposure, and social learning sculpt the valuation-control balance." The research, published in Radiology (2025; 317(2)), offers insights for managing crowds and addressing polarization.