The 2026 CONCACAF FIFA World Cup is being held across the United States, ¢αиα∂α, and мєχι¢σ over 39 days, from June 11 to July 19. Football fans around the world have turned their attention to the tournament, as it is the largest FIFA World Cup in history. With the number of matches expanded from 64 to 104, the competition has become the biggest football festival ever, featuring the highest number of participating nations and players in World Cup history.
It's not just football fans who have been caught up in the excitement. K-pop idols and many кσяєαn celebrities have also joined in the global football fever. Naturally, many artists have been cheering for South кσяєα's national team. Karina and Winter of aespa traveled to Guadalajara, мєχι¢σ, to watch кσяєα's opening match in person, while G-Dragon collaborated with Nike and the кσяєα Football Association to launch a special collection supporting the national team.
The members of BTS were no exception, showing strong support for their home country throughout the tournament. However, South кσяєα's World Cup campaign came to an early end after failing to advance beyond the group stage. That said, their elimination certainly didn't diminish the members' enthusiasm for the World Cup. There are still several national teams that have caught their attention and whose performances they are eagerly following.
Interestingly, during his livestream on July 8, j-hope υиєχρє¢тє∂ly revealed which national teams he and SUGA are currently rooting for!
Specifically, when a fan asked which team he was supporting at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, j-hope first made it clear that he had always been cheering for South кσяєα. The rapper said, "Of course I was rooting for the кσяєα team. No matter what country, everyone is playing really good." However, after кσяєα's elimination, he admitted that there was another team he was especially excited to watch: "Personally, this time, Team Norway I'm really looking forward to."
j-hope's admiration for Norway became even more apparent moments later when he brought up Erling Haaland by name. The K-pop superstar even reacted to Norway's viral post-match celebration after their dramatic 2-1 victory over вяαzιℓ to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. During the celebration, Haaland led his teammates in their iconic "Viking Row" chant, beating a drum as the squad performed the traditional Viking-inspired celebration.
Besides revealing which team he is following, j-hope also shared a funny story about SUGA, inadvertently letting fans know which national team the BTS rapper appears to be supporting. Later in the conversation, j-hope couldn't help but recall the match between Egypt and Argentina, saying, "Yesterday, Egypt vs Argentina... I was speechless." He then explained that SUGA is also a huge World Cup fan who closely follows every match.
He shared, "Yoongi hyung is a huge World Cup fan; he loves watching it. He'd tell us, 'Egypt's beating Argentina 2-0!', 'We turned the game around!'. He'd say this right before our performance and it would drive me crazy." From the way j-hope described SUGA's excitement when Argentina completed their comeback, many fans believe it unintentionally revealed that Argentina is the team the BTS rapper is supporting at this year's World Cup.
The short exchange from j-hope's livestream quickly became a hot topic across social media. Many fans were delighted to learn that, beyond music, the BTS members are just as invested in the World Cup as football fans around the world. While j-hope is eagerly following Norway's historic run, SUGA surprised ARMY by seemingly revealing his special support for Argentina. The discussion quickly spread across online communities, with fans sharing their reactions and joining the conversation:
- IM FREAKING SCREAMING RN. As a Norwegian Army im so happy. They visited Norway for bon voyage and i really hope they visit for a concert even if the chances is very small but i hope i at least they add one of the Scandinavian countries for the tour
- Norway should make it to the Finals so BTS meet them
- @ErlingHaaland please make it to the Finals and meet BTS
- Hobi is really watching the world cup he knows who is good
- Yoongi was one more of the 45 million Argentinians who nearly gave us a heart attack, YOONGI ARGENTINOOOOO
- Hobi seeing a Viking makes him trade dance moves for an actual row, guess the only thing he’s conquering now is the chorus line.
- That so Yoongi. He loves watching all sorts of sports, not surprised he follows many of the the scores and matches — bet he might convince them to watch the world cup final if the timing works for them
- The way Hobi got excited talking about Norway was actually adorable. He's a real football fan now
- Now I need Norway vs Argentina just so Hobi and Yoongi can have their own World Cup rivalry
