NFL pro Winston cleans up stadium with Japanese fans

Winston grabs a trash bag

Among the helpers was an unusual guest: Jameis Winston, who plays for the NFL franchise New York Giants. Winston, who is working as an analyst for TV broadcaster FOX during the World Cup, took part in the cleanup. In a video that Winston posted together with the NFL on social media, he can be seen with a FOX microphone in one hand and wearing a Japan jersey with the number 4. Winston pulled on a Japan jersey with the number 4 and filled bag after bag, while cameras documented his actions.

A tradition since 1998

The background to the cleanup goes back a long way. Such scenes already occurred at Japan's World Cup debut in 1998 in France and at every subsequent tournament appearance. In MLB, for example, LA Dodgers superstars Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani have already helped leave the seats and stands clean and immaculate. At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, when Japan also drew 2:2 with Senegal, fans of both teams joined forces and cleaned up at the Yekaterinburg Arena. The same picture repeated itself at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Japanese fans have proven their reputation for tidiness at World Cups on several occasions, including in 2018 in Russia and 2022 in Qatar. It is also a matter of honor for Senegal's fans. In the past, including at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations against the Democratic Republic of the Congo, videos repeatedly surfaced showing fans sweeping through the stands à la Japan. In Japan there is a proverb that can be translated figuratively as: "Leave the place the way you found it."

Explanation from Japan

Koichi Nakano explained the phenomenon to the AP news agency in terms of early childhood imprinting during everyday school life: "Japanische Sportfans, die bei internationalen Veranstaltungen das Stadion sauber halten, verhalten sich im Grunde genauso wie damals, als sie als Schulkinder die Freude am Sport entdeckten." In a supplementary statement, Nakano added that classrooms are also tidied without the teacher having to ask. This upbringing is reflected in the behavior of adult fans. A 20-year-old fan, quoted by international media, summed it up: "Wir haben an alle zu denken."

The on-field action of the evening provided the setting for the gesture. In their Group F opener against the Netherlands (2:2 after a late equalizer by former Glasner player Daichi Kamada in the 89th minute), the Japanese had briefly trailed 0:1 before the late goal secured the point. Before the blue plastic bags were put to their actual use, Japan fans had waved them in celebration of Daichi Kamada's late equalizer. Only after the final whistle did the celebratory fan items become practical helpers.

Echo on social media

Winston's appearance triggered a remarkable media response. Comments piled up on social networks: "Japanische Fans räumen auf. Knicks-Fans zerstören und verbrennen. Was ein Unterschied," one user wrote, referring to the unrest following the New York Knicks' NBA title on Saturday night, when fans celebrated exuberantly and there was destruction alongside plenty of partying. Another user put it this way: "Jameis ist ein nationales Juwel," celebrating the quarterback's down-to-earth nature. Others expressed a wish: "Wenn bloß unsere Gesellschaft von der Menschlichkeit und dem Respekt, der in der japanischen Kultur verankert ist, lernen könnte." The most popular comment read: "Du musst Jameis einfach lieben. Er ist sich keiner Arbeit zu schaden. Er ist Mann des Volkes."

The fact that Winston, who is estimated to have earned around $80 million during his NFL career, pitched in himself amplified the sympathy effect. The 2015 first-round pick out of Alabama joined the Japanese cleanup crew and dutifully tidied up as well. The combination of a prominent athlete, voluntary helpfulness and the cultural symbolism of the cleanup tradition generated enormous interest on social media. The video spread internationally within a few hours.

Reactions in the US were cautiously positive. While headlines from recent NBA title celebrations in New York had been dominated by broken windows and burning barricades, the image of the NFL star walking through the stands in a Japan jersey provided a striking contrast. Comparisons between the cleanup fans and the revelers in Manhattan appeared in numerous posts. The incident was also picked up in Japanese media, with emphasis placed on the cultural self-evidence of cleaning up.

Symbolic impact beyond sport

The tradition of cleaning up after matches is deeply rooted in Japan. From early childhood, pupils learn to clean their classrooms together — a ritual uncommon in Western school systems. According to Nakano, this practice creates a sense of community that carries over into behavior at major events. The blue plastic bags, which have been a fixture in Japanese stadiums for years, serve as a visible symbol of this attitude. They are as much a presence in the stands at national team matches as scarves and flags.

The symbolic effect of the action is not limited to sport. In the comment sections, the question of what Western societies could learn from the Japanese attitude was raised repeatedly. The cleanup images served as a projection screen for debates about the common good, responsibility and civic engagement. Winston, who normally makes headlines in the NFL with spectacular passes, became a symbolic figure for one evening of an unspectacular virtue: the willingness to get one's hands dirty.

The sporting result of the match did nothing to dampen the attention. Even though Japan took only a point against the Netherlands, the scoreline remained a footnote on social media. The cleanup action overshadowed the sporting analysis, at least in the hours immediately after the final whistle. For the organizers in the US, the evening also offered a positive image of the opening phase of the World Cup, as the gesture of the Japanese fans was singled out as exemplary.

Overall, the incident shows how images from a stadium can trigger a global debate. An NFL pro, a cleaning tradition and a football match formed the starting point for discussions about values, upbringing and responsibility. The fact that it was an American athlete who picked up on the Japanese behavior and showed up wearing a Samurai Blue jersey added an extra charge to the scene. In the comments this was interpreted as a sign of respect and solidarity, far beyond sport.

The cleanup scene is likely to resonate for some time to come. Similar images from Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 had already made headlines in the past. With the involvement of a prominent NFL player, however, the gesture has reached a new media reach this year. Observers rated Winston's appearance as a PR success for the World Cup, for FOX and for the athlete himself. For Japan, meanwhile, it is the eighth consecutive World Cup appearance in which the fans have collected international goodwill through their cleanup efforts.