You’ll have probably noticed that some teams choose to stand sideways to sing the national anthem at the 2026 World Cup.
Croatia are one of those sides that did this before their game against England and they won’t be the only ones to do so either.
I’ts an unorthodox way to stand during the national anthem, but the reason why does make a lot of sense.
The reason why teams stand sideways during the national anthem
The reason why you will see some countries standing sideways during their national anthem is to face their flag.
This is seen as a patriotic gesture and a strength of unity towards their country.
Cristiano Ronaldo is often spotted doing this before Portugal matches and is joined by some of his teammates.
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Other players do it so they can sing directly to their supporters and connect with the crowd before kick-off. You will also see this happen in other sports too.
While most teams traditionally line up facing the main stand or television cameras, FIFA does not dictate the direction players must face during the national anthem.
That has changed ever so slightly this year as teams are now lining up around the centre circle for before kick-off.
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