Summary
Ultras make matchdays memorable with intense displays like flares & tifos.
Notable ultra groups include Legia Warsaw, Red Star Belgrade, & AC Milan.
Ultras show unwavering support & passion for their clubs and amplify the fan experience.
When walking into a football stadium, all the five senses come alive. Your touch, taste and smell become elevated when you’re sitting in your seat waiting for the game to kick-off. Above all, what you see and hear on a matchday are the most important.
The atmosphere can make or break a matchday. Whether a team is winning or losing, fans feel their duty is to sing and get behind the squad no matter what. Among these groups of supporters lie some of the best groups in the world, the ultras. With these, what was just a football game turns into a concert and a colourful spectacle.
The English game possesses their own form of ultras, with Crystal Palace’s Holmesdale Fanatics being the most well-known. However, you just have to scan across a few countries to see that what the Eagles are doing in Selhurst Park is far from extraordinary. From the Polish capital of Warsaw, all the way down to the Argentinian neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, we looked at the ten best ultra groups in world football right now.
Ranking the 10 Best Ultra Groups in World Football
Rank
Club
Country
1
Legia Warsaw
Poland
2
Hajduk Split
Croatia
3
Dinamo Zagreb
Croatia
4
Galatasaray
Turkey
5
AC Milan
Italy
6
Sparta Prague
Czech Republic
7
Marseille
France
8
River Plate
Argentina
9
Red Star Belgrade
Serbia
10
Fenerbahce
Turkey
10 Fenerbahce
Turkey
fenerbahce
A European away tie against a Turkish club is well known to be a tough encounter. The supporters in the ground make it hard for the travelling team to get comfortable, jeering and booing the players from the off. Inside the Şukrü Saracoglu Stadium, the ultra group Genç Fenerbahceliler make their presence known.
From huge tifo’s to bright red flares that emit a cloud of smoke above the pitch, Fenerbahçe fans show their support in the most passionate ways. The ultras world isn’t the safest of places, and many groups turn to violence to stamp their authority. Earlier this season, Fenerbahçe ultras attacked a group of travelling Manchester United fans ahead of their Europa League clash in October. These actions were fronted by the GFB Bogaz Holligans.
9 Red Star Belgrade
Serbia
Red Star Belgrade supporters
As you move towards the eastern parts of Europe, the atmosphere at games tends to get more fierce. The use of flares, smoke bombs and even fireworks have become ingrained into the footballing culture of some countries, and it doesn’t look like it’s being stopped anytime soon. A group that encompasses the ‘ultra’ stereotype are Red Star Belgrade’s, Delije.
The word ‘delije’ in the Serbian language signifies a person of strength and bravery. Supporters at the Marakana create a show that leaves away fans shaking in fear, but in awe aswell. A trip across to Belgrade is one of the most highly anticipated bucket list events in the footballing world and provides memories for a lifetime.
8 River Plate
Argentina
River Plate fans are seen before the match
The River Plate ultra group make themselves known as Los Borrachos del Tablón which translates in English to the drunks of the stadium, a rather fitting tag if you ask me. Being an ultra group in South America comes with an entirely different purpose. It becomes people’s job and many fans make a wage off of their commitment to certain fan groups.
Supporters at the top of the ultra tree can earn a living off the club, gaining money from merchandise, ticket sales and some even receive a percentage of transfer fees. The Argentine sport wants to keep the aggressive nature of the sport alive, with Superclasico still widely regarded as the most violent derby in world football.
7 Marseille
France
General view as fans inside the stadium let off flares during the match
For decades, Marseille’s diehard group of supporters have been touted as some of Europe’s most passionate sets of fans. They have become involved in many violent encounters in their own country and overseas. Being the second-biggest city in France, Marseille fans hate not being at the top and have a fierce rivalry with fellow Ligue 1 team, Paris Saint Germain.
Their passion for the club comes from their left-wing political stance, pride of their city, and their desire for footballing success. Coming to the Velodrome is no easy task, with visitors expected to be surrounded by a deafening cry from start to finish.
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6 Sparta Prague
Czech Republic
General view of Sparta Prague fans inside the stadium before the match
In the heart of Prague, a social divide spans far wider than just its community. One of the most feared rivalries in the continent sees Prague’s middle class club Slavia Prague go head-to-head against the working class of Sparta Prague.
Clashes between the clubs have been reduced since the heights of the communist regime, however violent clashes still remain common on a matchday. The ultras of Sparta Prague have since turned to right-wing politics, displaying signs at games which emit racist undertones. UEFA have fined the club on numerous occasions for their anti-semetic, anti-Islamic and anti-immigrant sentiments at games.
5 AC Milan
Italy
General view as the AC Milan fans display banners inside the stadium before the match
Sharing a stadium with your Milan rivals was always going to start the emergence of an ultra group in red and black. Known for their rich history and creative tifo displays, the Brigate Rossonere stand proudly in the Curva Sud of the San Siro.
Ever since their first piece of art in 1984, the Curva Sud has been welcomed with numerous spectacles over the years. Their most famous work came when they hit back at PSG’s gun artwork directed towards AC Milan, with the Italian fans displaying a huge tifo of Neo from the Matrix dodging bullets in the reverse fixture.
4 Galatasaray
Turkey
MixCollage-12-Nov-2024-12-00-PM-2163
UltrAslan, the ultra group that follows the Turkish club Galatasaray across the continent and makes sure their home stadium is an away team’s version of hell. Despite many other groups in Europe being heavily political, UltrAslan largely remain impartial and concentrate on fighting for their club’s success.
The Galatasaray supporters were the sole reason why the Turkish government had to put a blanket ban on pyrotechnics in football. Their ultras proceeded to set off over 3,000 flares in a game against Fenerbahce back in 2012, stopping the match temporarily. UltrAslan still manage to squeeze flares past security at the gates of RAMS Park, making it one of the most deafening atmospheres in world football.
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3 Dinamo Zagreb
Croatia
General view of Dinamo Zagreb fans during the match
Dinamo Zagreb ultras call themselves the Bad Blue Boys (BBB) in relation to the sea of blue they create around the Maksimir Stadium in the Croatian capital. Despite their name, the BBB have a firm no knife policy among their group, a rule that seems crazy to even think about existing.
As well as their continued support in the stands, the group have received recognition for their actions off the pitch. Following the Zagreb earthquake of 2022, the BBB helped local authorities restore the damage caused by the natural diaster along with other Croatian ultra groups. The Dinamo Zagreb ultras were also some of the first sets of individuals to come out and publicly support Ukraine in their conflict with Russia.
2 Hajduk Split
Croatia
General view of the Hajduk Split fans
Originating all the way back in 1950, Hajduk Split’s ultras are the oldest supporters group in Europe. Torchida Split is the name they go by, and their formation was inspired by a group of Croatian sailors who wanted to replicate the atmosphere of the 1950 Brazil World Cup in their own country.
Their longevity in the stands has given them a feared reputation across Croatia and when Hajduk Split ultras are unhappy, they make it known. In April 2024, a 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb forced fans to break through security barriers and confront their own players on the pitch. Once the police defused the situation in the stadium, the extreme Torchida faction started throwing rocks and smashing bottles on the streets.
1 Legia Warsaw
Poland
Legia Warsaw fans with flares in the stands
If you’re looking for a high quality football game, the stands in Poland probably aren’t the best choice. However, supporters searching for an atmosphere that would lift them off their feet with nerves and trepidation, Legia Warsaw may have you covered. Their undeniable love for their football team goes way beyond anything else in life, it’s football or nothing.
The Legia Warsaw are the most violent group of them all, displaying controversial tifos game after game to have their imprint of authority on the modern game. Despite their political views and sheer aggressive outlook on football, the hooligans in the Polish capital are the most passionate the game has ever seen.
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