Jameis Winston embraces Japanese tradition by helping World Cup fans clean trash at stadium

By now, Jameis Winston might be more well-known for his off-the-field endeavors than his active NFL career as a quarterback for the Giants.

With his outgoing personality, the former No. 1 overall pick has established his future in television, from making an appearance on Netflix's MLB coverage to his role as a special contributor to Fox Sports.

On Sunday, Winston was given the opportunity to cover a huge World Cup match in Texas, where the Netherlands and Japan wound up drawing. But after the match, Winston wasn't on TV — he was following Japanese fans' lead by cleaning up trash in the stadium. 

Here's a look at Winston joining fans in World Cup stadium clean-up duties on Sunday.

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Jameis Winston joins Japanese fans cleaning stadium

Winston spent plenty of time with Netherlands fans on Sunday ahead of the match, bringing his energy and a microphone to the sea of orange.

“LET’S GO NETHERLANDS!” 🗣️ #JameisOnFOX@Jaboowins joins the Orange Army ahead of Netherlands vs Japan pic.twitter.com/wja3pJp9HT

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 14, 2026

THE ORANJE ARMY 🇳🇱 @FOXSports pic.twitter.com/eWk15v6O2l

— Jameis Winston (@Jaboowins) June 14, 2026

He even provided a live report for Fox Sports' coverage of the match: 

“They say everything is bigger in Texas, but there is nothing bigger than the Dutch Army!” 🗣️@Jaboowins is live on the scene with Netherlands fans outside Dallas Stadium! pic.twitter.com/D216TI77OV

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 14, 2026

But after spending all that time with Netherlands fans, Winston decided to switch sides a bit after the match. Japanese fans have become well-known for their tradition of cleaning up trash in a stadium after a match is over — and shortly after the 2-2 draw, there was Winston, seen wearing a jersey with his name on the back while picking up trash.

Shoutout to our FIFA World Cup correspondent @Jaboowins and all the Japan fans cleaning up their trash at Dallas Stadium 👏#JameisOnFOX pic.twitter.com/1bX8kKSnoS

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 14, 2026

Why do Japanese fans clean up trash?

Japanese fans have built a reputation for leaving stadiums just as clean, if not cleaner, than they found it after World Cup matches, or any other major events.

A proverb translated by ESPN to "a bird leaves nothing behind" helps explain the tradition, as Japanese fans are ideally trying to leave a stadium the way it was when they arrived.

"It's not just part of the football culture but part of Japanese culture. You often hear people say that football is a reflection of culture," Japan-based journalist Scott McIntyre previously said, per ESPN. "An important aspect of Japanese society is making sure that everything is absolutely clean and that's the case in all sporting events and certainly also in football."

MORE: Everything to know about Japanese fans' tradition of cleaning trash