The graphic featured the United States, Japan and England, but the response quickly widened beyond those teams. Supporters posted flags from Brazil, Mexico, Canada and other countries after the account asked: “Drop ur flag so we know which country got the most shibes”.
That turned a simple piece of tournament imagery into an informal measure of global reach. The football itself supplied the next layer of context, with Mexico supporters able to celebrate an opening win while joining the online conversation.
Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, giving the host nation a positive start in the competition’s opening fixture. The result made Mexico one of the first teams to establish momentum, while the stadium setting added weight to the sense of a tournament beginning at home.
The match also gave the Shiba Inu imagery a direct football connection, after a supporter shared an AI-generated image showing dogs in Mexico and South Africa shirts.
The United States begin their campaign against Paraguay on Friday, with the schedule placing two group-stage matches in Los Angeles and another in Seattle. That creates an immediate opportunity for the host team to turn broad online interest into support inside American venues.
The tournament runs from 11 June to 19 July across the United States, Mexico and Canada. The next storyline is whether the United States can match the early energy generated by Mexico’s 2-0 victory-and whether the global flag call continues as more teams enter the competition.