EntertainmentTVAnime ShowsHaikyuJapan uses the power of sports anime Haikyu to spur its volleyball team to victory at the Olympics against ArgentinaWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
EntertainmentTVAnime ShowsHaikyuJapan uses the power of sports anime Haikyu to spur its volleyball team to victory at the Olympics against ArgentinaWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Production I.G.)

The Olympic Games has featured a surprise reference to sports anime Haikyu during a recent men’s volleyball match between Japan and Argentina.
Even better – and to prove it was no fluke – a separate OP theme, ‘Phoenix’, was also playing during warm-ups and fans were seen sporting Nekoma towels. See for yourself below.
so they played haikyuu op…..for the japan vs argentina game…. pic.twitter.com/mFWJf7GiwEJuly 31, 2024
so they played haikyuu op…..for the japan vs argentina game…. pic.twitter.com/mFWJf7GiwEJuly 31, 2024
guys they are playing fly high ~ tobe fly, in argentina vs japan match, i’m cryin😭 pic.twitter.com/xzmdwg6tkOJuly 31, 2024
guys they are playing fly high ~ tobe fly, in argentina vs japan match, i’m cryin😭 pic.twitter.com/xzmdwg6tkOJuly 31, 2024
Incredibly, this isn’t the first time a Haikyu song has played at the Olympics. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics featured the song ‘Imagination’ from the long-running series during a match between Japan and Venezuela.
Haikyu fans who tuned in also noticed a resemblance between Argentina’s kit and the(spoilers for the manga)Team A all-star team, which featured Oikawa and Hinata. To continue the Oikawa connections, others pointed out that the Argentina vs. Japan match mirrors Oikawa and Kageyama’s own fictional international showdown between the two countries during the Tokyo Olympics during the Final Arc.
ARGENTINA MEN’S VOLLEYBALL UNIFORM pic.twitter.com/hjCm5G8O8lJuly 31, 2024
ARGENTINA MEN’S VOLLEYBALL UNIFORM pic.twitter.com/hjCm5G8O8lJuly 31, 2024
IT’S HAPPENING OH WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE pic.twitter.com/YvSusfaw5aJuly 30, 2024
IT’S HAPPENING OH WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE pic.twitter.com/YvSusfaw5aJuly 30, 2024
Back in the anime world, Haikyu is getting set to bring the series to a close with a second feature film in the near future. The first movie,The Dumpster Battle, covered Karasuno’s Nationals match with long-standing rivals Nekoma.
For more from the world of anime, check out thebest animeyou should be watching right now and all thenew animecoming your way for the rest of 2024. Then dive into our guides onDemon Slayer Infinity Castle,Jujutsu Kaisen season 3, andthe Chainsaw Man movie.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
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2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3
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4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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4
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5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”