Growing up, football was never on my radar. I saw it as a “boy’s hobby,” something I neither played nor followed. As a teenager, my casual disinterest hardened into something resembling disdain. I recall vividly, at thirteen or fourteen, when boys in my class jubilantly cheered their team’s victory.
“WE WON!” they shouted with glee.
In a moment now tinged with unnecessary snark, I retorted, “Your team won. You didn’t do anything.”
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Back then, I even took pride in debating that nurses should earn more than Premier League footballers; to 15-year-old me, saving lives far outweighed scoring goals.
As an adult, my attitude mellowed—I no longer resented the sport but still wasn’t drawn to it. Now, at 27, I’ve made a decision: it’s time to become a football fan, wholeheartedly.
I’ve joined the office World Cup sweepstakes. Whatever team fate hands me, I’ll throw my full support behind them. Draw Germany? Expect me at the pub decked out with schnitzel, beer, and lederhosen. Pick Panama? I’ll paint my face red and blue and belt out their anthem, however off-key I am. And if it’s Curaçao, I’ll be Googling its humble Caribbean home with enthusiasm.
I admit a twinge of anxiety about getting England. Despite inventing the sport, the nation hasn’t lifted the World Cup trophy in decades. But maybe that just means the time is ripe for a victory. After all, the country could use a lift—these past years have been tough. Headlines about ‘Broken Britain’ have dogged us for as long as I can remember.
When was the last truly bright moment? Perhaps when Sam Ryder nearly clinched Eurovision, only to be overshadowed by darker events unfolding in Europe.
A World Cup win would be a huge morale boost—not just for England but for any smaller nation that seldom enjoys the global spotlight. A Croatian friend once told me how their team’s runner-up finish in 2018 sparked a joyous parade through Zagreb. For them, second place was a celebration, not a disappointment.
Regardless of who wins, this tournament promises to be a perfect way to spend summer afternoons—surrounded by friends, enjoying a cold pint or cider, and soaking in the electric atmosphere at the local pub.
(*Fun fact: Curaçao is a constituent country of the Netherlands, nestled in the South Caribbean Sea.)