The surprise favourites at the World Cup is not a team but a band of supporters

They drink the bars dry, clean up after themselves and make a curious racket as they march to games − the World Cup’s favourite team is not a football side but a group of supporters known as “the Tartan Army”.

In fact, one of the most enjoyable aspects of the World Cup to date hasn’t been the nail-biting matches or the footballers who are vying for sporting glory, but the Scottish supporters who flew to the US to support their national team.

The so-called “Tartan Army” has not only made headlines, but won over Americans and spectators around the world with their fun-filled antics, including, but not limited to, wearing kilts and playing bagpipes while marching to sporting events, placing traffic cones on famous sculptures, and of course their legendary partying, including drinking the city of Boston dry.

The name “Tartan Army” was bestowed on the supporters of the Scottish football team back in the 70s, but few outside Scotland knew of its existence until now, in part because until this year, Scotland hadn’t qualified for a World Cup since 1998.

That 28-year gap between drinks, so to speak, left the Scots thirsty for a chance to not only play in a World Cup, but party like only the Scots know how.

And party they have.

With possibly only a very small period of time before their World Cup dreams are shattered, this year’s version of the Tartan Army has gone all out.

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Fans began arriving in the US city of Boston, as well as neighbouring towns and states, two weeks ago, ahead of Scotland’s first match against Haiti.

By the time the match was played, and Scotland was basking in the glory of an unexpected 1-0 win over Haiti − during which they set a new decibel record for World Cup stadiums while singing their national song (125 decibels to be precise) − stories were already abounding about their good-natured takeover of the city.

Despite being known for their love of sports and drinking, the Bostonians had never seen anything quite like the Scots before and soon embraced their newfound friends with a fierceness that took many by surprise.

Case in point: Boston dad Mike Morrison, who heard the unmistakable sound of bagpipes coming from the Airbnb across the road from his suburban home and instead of being cranky, ended up befriending the football fans. 

A video of their bagpipe-playing antics outside the home, which had been draped in Scottish flags, soon went viral, as did Morrison’s social media updates featuring a blow-by-blow description of what happened next, from sinking pints with the lads to firing up a recovery barbecue breakfast for them the next day, to being gifted tickets to the Scotland-Morocco match a few days later, allowing him to not only attend his first football match but do so at a World Cup surrounded by newfound friends.

His posts made news around the world and caught the attention of the media, turning Morrison and his band of trusty sidekicks into overnight celebrities.

By the time the first group of Scottish supporters left Boston bound for home, their antics had made headlines around the world, and left Morrison bereft over their departure.

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He shouldn’t have worried. As soon as they left, they were replaced with another raft of equally likable Scots, who have since moved on, but their memory lingers.

The Boston Globe even took out a full-page ad to thank them in their wake.

“You came for the World Cup, but gave us something more,” it said.

“For a week, you turned train stations into singalongs, Fenway into a football ground, and an ordinary June into something we’ll be talking about for years.

“Boston has hosted championships, parades, and celebrations of every kind. But we’ve never hosted guests quite like you all.

“Thank you for the laughter, the bagpipes, and the memories. The World Cup will move on. So will the songs, but we’ll never forget the joy you brought to our city.”

Incidentally, with the Scots gone, Boston was soon inundated with English fans, who share a border with their kilt-wearing neighbours, but have not quite been embraced in the same way as the Tartan Army, who despite drinking the town dry, still managed to leave it better than they found it by cleaning up the parks they partied in, and bestowing parting gifts of tens of thousands of dollars in donations to local charities before heading home.

A new wave of Scotland supporters has since descended on Miami, where it was initially feared they would not be embraced as wholeheartedly as in Boston.

Of course, they were, with the Miami Beach Police even singing their praises in a video posted this week.

“The Scotland Tartan Army has arrived on Ocean Drive! From bagpipes and tartans to nonstop energy and team pride, Scotland supporters brought an unforgettable atmosphere to the heart of Miami Beach ahead of tomorrow’s match,” they wrote. “Welcome to Miami Beach, Tartan Army!”

The Scottish team played their third and final group game at 8am (AEST) on June 25 − a clash against Cup favourites, Brazil.

Their 3-0 loss means they might not progress in the competition after losing their second match to Morocco 1-0.

So while the hopes and dreams of Scotland rested on its national football team this morning, I dare say that win or lose, its residents should proudly bask in their display of national pride, safe in the knowledge they have done more for relations between the UK and US than perhaps any diplomatic endeavours since World War II.

So much so, that Massachusetts State Senator Paul Feeney has weighed in with a video thanking them for being great guests and extending an invitation to the Tartan Army to make an annual visit to Boston.

For a country of just 5.5 million people, Scotland not only showed the world how to behave on the world stage, but in doing so, lifted the sporting community up like never before. And that, more than any result on the football field, should be celebrated.