If you tune into a USA match at the 2026 World Cup, you won’t just hear the American fans — you’ll hear them chanting “I believe that we will win!” over and over until it becomes a wall of sound. It’s simple, it’s loud, it’s relentlessly optimistic… and it has a genuinely surprising backstory.
| Chant | I Believe That We Will Win |
| Origin | 1998, Naval Academy Prep School |
| Created by | Jay Rodriguez |
| Adopted by | USMNT fans & The American Outlaws |
| Went national | 2014 FIFA World Cup |
| Style | Call-and-response |
How the Chant Works
It’s a build-up. One person (or section) leads and the crowd echoes, stacking the line piece by piece: “I believe” … “I believe that” … “I believe that we will win!” — and then it loops, faster and louder each time. No instruments, no fancy lyrics. Just pure, escalating belief.
The Surprising Military Origin
Here’s the twist most fans don’t know: the chant didn’t start with soccer at all. In 1998, a Naval Academy Prep School student named Jay Rodriguez was tasked with creating a chant for his platoon — and “I believe that we will win” was the result. It spread through the Naval Academy (4,000 Midshipmen jumping and chanting is hard to ignore), then to other colleges like Utah State and San Diego State, then to MLS crowds around 2010, and finally to the U.S. men’s national team supporters. By the 2014 World Cup, it was everywhere.
Why It Fits Team USA
Soccer chants are usually elaborate sing-along songs — and Americans, let’s be honest, are still leveling up in that department. “I Believe” sidesteps all of that. It needs zero rehearsal, anyone can join instantly, and it gets louder the more nervous the game gets. For a co-host nation desperate for a deep run, it’s the ideal rallying cry. Pair it with the U.S. national anthem before kickoff and you’ve got the full Team USA soundtrack. (Curious how it stacks up against Mexico’s Cielito Lindo? Very differently — but both bring the house down.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did “I believe that we will win” come from?
It was created in 1998 by Jay Rodriguez, a student at the Naval Academy Prep School, as a chant for his platoon.
How did it become a soccer chant?
It spread from the Naval Academy to colleges, then to MLS crowds around 2010, and became a national USMNT rallying cry at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Who uses the chant?
U.S. soccer fans, especially the supporters’ group The American Outlaws, use it at U.S. men’s and women’s national team games.
How do you do the chant?
It’s call-and-response: a leader builds the line piece by piece — “I believe / I believe that / I believe that we will win!” — and the crowd repeats it, getting louder each round.