What is tifo in football? Explaining term for fan displays by club supporters in soccer

2023-05-10
4 min read

If there was one thing the pandemic taught us about football, it was the importance of fans to each and every club.

Many teams struggled with their home form while playing behind closed doors as there was no atmosphere inside the stadiums.

Since the return of fans, many supporters have been doing more ahead of and during matches to help their players feel more at home. 

What is a tifo?

A tifo is one of the most popular displays put on by football fans to show their support before kick-off.

Tifos are choreographed visual displays made by fans, usually before big games like a derby or European fixture, to both improve the atmosphere inside the stadium and strike fear into their opponents. 

The display is usually based on the colours of the home team or it can show an image of current or former player. They are more frequent in Germany and France, as well as South American countries, but tifos are slowly making their way into the Premier League.

The best tifos of all time

Borussia Dortmund vs Chelsea, 2023

Dortmund are known for having some of the most passionate fans in football, and have stunned the world with their tifos on many occasions. 

Ahead of their Champions League round-of-16 tie against Chelsea earlier this season, they unveiled another great tifo to show their love for their side.

The display saw a fan with a backpack on, travelling the globe. The caption translated to: "It was worth every time to stand by your side... The journey will go on forever."

Seattle Sounders vs Portland Timbers, 2012

Much like Dortmund, Sounders fans have created a lot of great tifos in the past for their side. 

The supporters revealed a tifo in which head coach Sigi Schmid posed as The Godfather playing poker. He held a royal flush, which would beat the hand of his counterpart. It also featured the phrase "Tonight we go all in".

Milan vs Barcelona, 2012

Milan fans took things to another level for their Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona in 2012.

The Rossoneri showed a giant Pac-Man tifo ahead of the fixture. The display featured the popular game, but it was in vain as the game ended goalless and Barcelona won the second leg 3-1 at Camp Nou.