The 'ola' linked to Mexico is actually an American invention | OneFootball

The stadium 'ola', seen across this World Cup, may be synonymous with Mexico, yet its origin lies in the United States, according to L'Équipe.

Before setting base in Nashville, Tennessee, Japan held a six-day acclimatisation camp from two to eight June at the Live Aqua hotel in San Pedro Garza García, adjoining Monterrey, then played two of their three group matches in Dallas, Texas.

Regiomontanos warmed to the Samurai Blue and backed them against Tunisia, a 4-0 win on 21 June. The bond was clear when fans at Estadio BBVA in Guadalupe triggered a first unified ola soon after kick-off.

The wave went global nearby during the 1986 World Cup, at Tigres UANL's Estadio Universitario in San Nicolás de los Garza. Germany's quarter-final with El Tricolor on 21 June 1986 ended 0-0, 4-1 on penalties, and visiting Europeans were soon charmed by the spectacle.

Yet the so-called Mexican wave did not begin in Mexico. It is credited to Krazy George Henderson, a professional cheerleader who is said to have launched the first ola on 15 October 1981 at a New York Yankees v Oakland Athletics baseball game, adapting crowd moves seen at college events. Mexican students then took it home, giving it global reach at the 1986 World Cup that crowned Maradona. Though it seems to have faded early in this tournament, it still brings fans together.

Source: L'Équipe