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How football can rewire your brain

Have you ever gone absolutely bananas when your team scores that last-minute winner against an ol...

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13.00 12 Nov 2025


How football can rewire your brain


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13.00 12 Nov 2025


Have you ever gone absolutely bananas when your team scores that last-minute winner against an old rival? Or slouched on the couch for hours after a devastating defeat? Well, it’s not just you being dramatic, your brain is actually getting rewired in real time!

A new scientific study has revealed that when football fans watch their favourite team win or lose, it’s not just their hearts racing, their brains are lighting up in very specific ways. Using MRI scans, researchers found that fans’ emotions and self-control can be dramatically affected by the result, especially when playing a rival…

Joining Andrea to discuss this is Off The Ball’s Kathleen McNamee, as well as listeners.


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