Whether it’s a last-minute winner or a penalty shootout, sporting drama like the 2026 World Cup sparks real physiological changes. Here’s why not all stress is created equal
Brendan Street is an accredited CBT therapist and supervisor, and head of charity at Nuffield Health, the official health and wellbeing partner of the England football teams. Here he discusses different types of stress, and how ‘eustress’ or good stress (literally translated from the Greek ‘Eu’, meaning ‘good’) can actually have both emotional and physical health benefits…
Whether it’s England in a World Cup knockout match, a Champions League final or a last-minute VAR check that could change everything, being a sports fan can feel physically exhausting. Hearts race, palms sweat and stress levels soar.
But while that emotional rollercoaster might feel unhealthy in the moment, psychologists say not all stress is bad. In fact, the right kind of stress can sharpen focus, strengthen social bonds and even provide a temporary boost to wellbeing.
Understanding the body’s stress response
When we become stressed, in response to a perceived danger, the body releases a cocktail of chemicals to help it respond rapidly to any threat. This is often referred to as the ‘fight-or-flight’ response.
The body does this via the nervous system, which activates this danger-response mode by flooding the body with hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, using energy stores to help us deal with a threatening situation.
In its purest form the fight-or-flight response prepares us for life-or-death situations.
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The resulting impact is significant, affecting every system in the body including the respiratory, cardiovascular, hormone regulation, digestive, musculoskeletal and reproductive systems.
The body prepares for real and imagined threat in the same way and does not differentiate between physical and mental threat. As it gears up the defence system, heart rate and breathing accelerate, and the body directs energy away from its usual functions such as digestion or sleep.
In essence, stress is a game of two halves – eustress and distress.
Why fans feel every kick
Sports supporters often describe themselves as feeling every tackle, penalty or near miss, and science suggests that’s not just a figure of speech. Studies have found that watching emotionally charged sporting events can increase heart rate, blood pressure and stress hormone production, particularly among highly invested fans. Researchers believe this happens because the brain treats important sporting moments as personally significant events, triggering many of the same biological responses seen during real-life challenges.
The key difference is duration. While chronic stress can be damaging, the spikes of excitement associated with watching sport are typically short-lived and followed by periods of recovery. For many supporters, that cycle of anticipation, tension and release is part of what makes following a team so rewarding.
Managing World Cup stress
In the context of watching a football match, stress – the perceived danger of conceding a goal, missing a penalty, the excitement of scoring – only tends to last in the short term. It gives us a brief bounce of increased heart rate, energy, focus, excitement and motivation.
As this is temporary, it’s within our coping ability and differs from ‘chronic stress’, which is typically longer-term and feels unpleasant and outside our sense of control. Think of the thrill of a short rollercoaster ride (eustress) compared to being forced to ride it for hours (distress).
During a major tournament we benefit from a shared sense of connection and motivation. We experience collective emotions – whether that’s with our immediate friends and family who we watch the game with or with the nation as a whole.
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However, research indicates that in order to benefit from eustress you need to have a good level of fitness before you watch a sporting event. It’s an obvious but important distinction. Putting your body under any form of stress when it’s already in poor condition is never going to help.
And it’s not just fans who can benefit from the positive effects of eustress. For the players themselves, there’s an optimal level of anxiety that can fuel performance.
Positive stress
From a player’s perspective pre-match nerves is a natural sensation. It can have a positive impact on the body as it helps to create a heightened state, where the individual has greater energy, concentration and confidence.
Players may refer to this as ‘the zone’, and this is when the player experiences eustress. However, it’s a bit of a Goldilocks zone, where the player experiences just enough stress – but not too little or too much – to enter a state called ‘flow’.
Eustress is the fuel for flow. Not enough stress and players aren’t stimulated and underperform; too much stress and they feel overwhelmed and ‘choke’.
Every athlete will have different coping mechanisms. In a tournament like the World Cup, stress can manifest itself in various ways – from players’ own expectations as well as that of their fans, to a sense of redemption for past performances or the fear of failure.
Beyond the physiological effects, sport also offers a powerful sense of belonging. Research consistently shows that shared experiences can boost mood, reduce feelings of isolation and strengthen social connections.
Whether fans are watching in a stadium, at home or in a pub surrounded by strangers wearing the same colours, supporting a team creates a sense of identity and community that can contribute positively to mental wellbeing.
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What is particularly evident about the current England set-up is the emphasis they place on mental fitness as well as physical fitness and giving the players the platform to write their own history.
While players and supporters experience pressure differently, both can benefit from understanding the difference between distress and eustress. The next time your heart starts pounding during a crucial match, it may be worth remembering that a little stress isn’t always something to fear. Sometimes it’s simply a sign that you’re fully engaged in a moment that matters.
Nuffield Health is the official health and wellbeing partner of the England football teams, uniting with the FA to help build a healthier nation. The partnership will build on the mental and physical benefits that football brings to improve the wellbeing of individuals and communities. To find out more, visit nuffieldhealth.com/thefa
