Right now, World Cup matches are dominating the evenings and relentlessly appearing on screen, disrupting the routine of lovelorn couples. Let's be honest: it's not the most romantic program imaginable. While this sporting event often divides couples, a recent survey proves that it can also bring them together and strengthen their bond. On one condition: that both partners are on the same side and support the same team.<\/p>\n
The 2026 World Cup is turning the lives of many couples upside down, with flags waving instead of cuddling<\/a> and the answer to the question "What should we watch tonight?" all too easy. One thing's for sure: they're no longer spending hours scouring the Netflix catalog for a series that everyone will agree on.<\/p>\n In a highly exaggerated description, the men take root on the sofa, beer in hand, and become engrossed in the televised match as if their future depended on it. While they shout about fouls, demand a penalty from the referee, and lament their team's actions, their partners seek refuge in another room to protect their eardrums. They secretly hope for a power outage so they can finally have some peace and quiet and spend time with their partners.<\/p>\n While some women are completely uninterested in the sport and know no rules other than the red card, this is far from the norm. In reality, many couples play football together, taking turns and jumping up in unison as soon as the ball goes into the opposing team's net. This is what a survey conducted by the brand LELO<\/a> among 4,600 fans revealed. According to the results, 50% of couples watch the matches hand in hand. Even more interestingly, 32% of respondents believe that a victory for their national team could benefit their relationship.<\/p>\n Whether couples choose to follow this legendary sporting event from home, in a bar, or in the heart of the fan zones, they become one, like a team on the field. They raise their scarves as soon as a player makes a burst of speed, panic when the opposing team counter-attacks, and are even in complete agreement on their analysis of the first half. They kiss passionately after every goal and comfort each other when their favorite team is struggling.<\/p>\n Football, sometimes criticized for the attitude of its fans and post-match excesses, also provides a strong sense of belonging and creates immense human connections. This contagious solidarity is also felt within couples, who resonate in perfect harmony. Football then serves as a "bond." In the pages of Psychology Today<\/a> , positive psychology specialists Suzie Pileggi Pawelski and James Pawelski explain that a healthy couple is one that knows how to share its emotions. A comment, a glance, a smile, or a casual remark are all ways of saying, "Share this moment with me."<\/p>\n And football matches create precisely this alchemy, bringing hearts and minds closer together. They amplify camaraderie<\/a> . In the final minutes of a close match, you hold hands without even thinking about it. After a missed opportunity, you exchange a knowing glance that says, "We suffered together on that one." So many micro-connections that challenge the indifference of scrolling and soften the blow of arguments. Because yes, shouting until your voice is hoarse, stressing for your team as much as for an exam, spontaneously embracing at the final whistle is also a form of declaration of love.<\/p>\n LELO's study reveals a surprising phenomenon: after their team scores, 38% of fans say they experience such an adrenaline rush that they feel a greater desire to be closer to their partner, or even share an intimate moment. It's no wonder, then, that your spouse might feel a surge of tenderness at the end of the 90 minutes. Messi, Mbapp\u00e9, Ronaldo\u2026 these seasoned goalscorers are worth all the aphrodisiacs on the market.<\/p>\n This figure can be explained by a well-known psychological mechanism. When we experience a strong emotion alongside someone, regardless of its nature, our brain tends to associate these positive feelings with the person sharing that moment with us. Psychologists refer to this as the transfer of emotional arousal.<\/p>\n In practical terms, when a couple celebrates a decisive goal together, the energy of the moment isn't solely tied to the match. It can also strengthen the feeling of connection between the two partners. The cries of joy, the spontaneous hugs, the reaching hands, and the knowing glances amplify this closeness. And whether the team, cheered on with such fervor, wins the match or not, the couple always emerges victorious.<\/p>\n Of course, sometimes one player prefers to retreat to better digest the defeat. However, the other player's response can make all the difference. Instead of minimizing the other player's feelings by saying "it's just football, not the end of the world," you remain present and show understanding.<\/p>\n So no, women don't just watch football to ogle or rank players by looks. They're fully engaged, whether out of genuine interest or to please their partner. Ultimately, supporting the same team in football or elsewhere is a romantic tactic like any other.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Right now, World Cup matches are dominating the evenings and relentlessly appearing on screen, disrupting the routine of...","protected":false},"author":8340,"featured_media":445247,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_msn":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5717],"tags":[97833,97333,97372],"class_list":["post-445245","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-vie-amoureuse","tag-actu","tag-couple","tag-relation"],"image":{"medium":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Soutenir-meme-equipe-football-200x113.jpg",200,113,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Soutenir-meme-equipe-football-500x281.jpg",500,281,true]},"custom":{"td_video":"","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Soutenir-meme-equipe-football.jpg","author":{"name":"\u00c9milie Laurent","avatar":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cropped-2f5d8c00d5d5c27f8ce4d9b3f9015467-96x96.png"},"categories":[{"term_id":5717,"name":"Love life","slug":"vie-amoureuse","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5885,"taxonomy":"category","description":" The Love life section of The Body Optimist unpacks relationships in all their forms: dating, attraction, life as a couple, jealousy, breakups and being single. Advice from therapists, psychological insights and personal stories help you build healthy, balanced relationships, with no pressure to couple up and no one-size-fits-all model.<\/p>\n Getting over a breakup takes time, and the pain often feels like grief: sadness, anger, nostalgia and relief can take turns. A few steps help you through it: limit contact with your ex and the urge to check their social media, put away objects that stir up memories, lean on friends and family rather than isolating yourself, get back to your routines (sleep, meals, movement) and reinvest in activities that are yours alone. Writing down what you feel helps put your thoughts in order. If the sadness lasts for weeks and keeps you from functioning day to day, a therapist can help you move forward.<\/p>\n We don\u2019t see being in a couple as a goal to reach: single, exclusive, living together without marrying or in a decades-long relationship, every path deserves to be told without judgment. Our articles reject the idea that you need to change your body to be loved, and remind you that excessive jealousy and control are never proof of love. They speak to all couples, straight and LGBTQIA+, and offer guidance without claiming to replace couples therapy or psychological support.<\/p>\n A relationship becomes toxic when one partner controls, belittles or isolates the other: checking their phone, constant criticism, emotional blackmail, swinging between passionate declarations and coldness. \u201cNarcissist\u201d gets used loosely online, but narcissistic personality disorder is a clinical diagnosis: focus on behaviors rather than labels. If you\u2019re facing violence, contact a domestic violence hotline or your local emergency services.<\/p>\n Developed by American marriage counselor Gary Chapman, the five love languages are words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service and physical touch. The idea is that each person tends to express and receive affection in a preferred way. It\u2019s a popular framework for avoiding misunderstandings, not a scientifically validated theory.<\/p>\n Connections often grow out of activities you repeat over time: a sports club, a choir, a community group, volunteering, evening classes. Say yes to invitations, let friends introduce you to their circle, and start conversations around a shared interest. The goal isn\u2019t to impress at all costs but to create more chances to connect.<\/p>\n Keep exploring: find all our sex and relationship topics<\/a>, pleasure and sexual health in Sexuality<\/a>, wedding planning and anniversaries in Marriage<\/a>, and tools to stand your ground in Self-confidence<\/a>.<\/p>","parent":6135,"count":709,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":5717,"category_count":709,"category_description":" The Love life section of The Body Optimist unpacks relationships in all their forms: dating, attraction, life as a couple, jealousy, breakups and being single. Advice from therapists, psychological insights and personal stories help you build healthy, balanced relationships, with no pressure to couple up and no one-size-fits-all model.<\/p>\n Getting over a breakup takes time, and the pain often feels like grief: sadness, anger, nostalgia and relief can take turns. A few steps help you through it: limit contact with your ex and the urge to check their social media, put away objects that stir up memories, lean on friends and family rather than isolating yourself, get back to your routines (sleep, meals, movement) and reinvest in activities that are yours alone. Writing down what you feel helps put your thoughts in order. If the sadness lasts for weeks and keeps you from functioning day to day, a therapist can help you move forward.<\/p>\n We don\u2019t see being in a couple as a goal to reach: single, exclusive, living together without marrying or in a decades-long relationship, every path deserves to be told without judgment. Our articles reject the idea that you need to change your body to be loved, and remind you that excessive jealousy and control are never proof of love. They speak to all couples, straight and LGBTQIA+, and offer guidance without claiming to replace couples therapy or psychological support.<\/p>\n A relationship becomes toxic when one partner controls, belittles or isolates the other: checking their phone, constant criticism, emotional blackmail, swinging between passionate declarations and coldness. \u201cNarcissist\u201d gets used loosely online, but narcissistic personality disorder is a clinical diagnosis: focus on behaviors rather than labels. If you\u2019re facing violence, contact a domestic violence hotline or your local emergency services.<\/p>\n Developed by American marriage counselor Gary Chapman, the five love languages are words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service and physical touch. The idea is that each person tends to express and receive affection in a preferred way. It\u2019s a popular framework for avoiding misunderstandings, not a scientifically validated theory.<\/p>\n Connections often grow out of activities you repeat over time: a sports club, a choir, a community group, volunteering, evening classes. Say yes to invitations, let friends introduce you to their circle, and start conversations around a shared interest. The goal isn\u2019t to impress at all costs but to create more chances to connect.<\/p>\n Keep exploring: find all our sex and relationship topics<\/a>, pleasure and sexual health in Sexuality<\/a>, wedding planning and anniversaries in Marriage<\/a>, and tools to stand your ground in Self-confidence<\/a>.<\/p>","cat_name":"Love life","category_nicename":"vie-amoureuse","category_parent":6135}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/445245","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8340"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=445245"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/445245\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":445250,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/445245\/revisions\/445250"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/445247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=445245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=445245"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=445245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} Sharing a common passion, the secret to complicity<\/h2>\n
A winning moment of connection, regardless of the final score<\/h2>\n
What you\u2019ll find in the Love life section<\/h2>\n
\n
How do you get over a breakup?<\/h2>\n
Our take on love<\/h2>\n
Where to start<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
How can you tell if a relationship is toxic?<\/h3>\n
What are the five love languages?<\/h3>\n
How can you meet someone without dating apps?<\/h3>\n
What you\u2019ll find in the Love life section<\/h2>\n
\n
How do you get over a breakup?<\/h2>\n
Our take on love<\/h2>\n
Where to start<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
How can you tell if a relationship is toxic?<\/h3>\n
What are the five love languages?<\/h3>\n
How can you meet someone without dating apps?<\/h3>\n