With Brazil taking on Croatia in the first match of the World Cup in São Paulo, millions of fans around the world kick off a month-long obsession with “football”. For the rest of the world, who don’t follow the game, you’re left with four options this month. Ignore these fans, run away from conversation, nod along to everything being said or jump on the bandwagon. For those who have surrendered, you have an impending task ahead of you. The very first, basic question you will be asked for the next month and a half, “Which team do you support this World Cup?” Well, fret not; this article is here to help you. Presenting (cue drum rolls) “An Beginners Checklist to Choosing a Team this Football World Cup 2014”.
Hold on, before that you need to know what you’re up against.
The World Cup will feature 32 nations – placed in eight groups with four teams each – and a total of 64 games. Each team has eleven players on the field with three substitutions. Each squad however, consists of 23 players on a whole. The teams are divided into eight groups. The four teams in each group will play each other and the top two teams will move on. From there, it heads into single-game elimination, starting with the winner of each group playing the runner-up of another group. Winners advance and keep playing until there are only two teams left.
Now that you know the basics of how the tournament works, let’s move on to what you really want to know- How do you choose which team to support? You could choose your team based on the list given below:
- Eye-Candy
The Brazil 2014 World Cup won’t only be the place to bring together the best talent in football; it will also bring some of the most attractive ones. While you’re being forced to watch these hour and a half long matches, you may as well focus on the eye candy.
- Good looking fans
Talking about eye candy, with an average seating capacity of 49,896 people per stadium, the stadium has no dearth of good looking supporters. So why not join them in supporting their team?
- Color, color, what color do you choose?
FIFA is a legitimate excuse to wear a pair of shorts and a jersey and walk around in front of people. So look up the teams, see which color suits you best, buy a jersey and pretend to support the team.
- Dream Travel Destination
Fancied visiting the carnivals of Brazil, the English country side or the Niagara Falls? Well, this suggests you’ve done your country research. So even if you don’t know anything about the team, you support your favorite destination. But do ensure they are playing in this World Cup!
- These are some of my favorite things
The Swiss are known for their chocolates, while the English for the Queen and The Beatles, the Germans for their automobiles and South Korea for the Gangnam Style. Why not support the country where your favorites are from?
- Bye-bye Honey Singh
The FIFA world cup has its benefits. Honey Singh’s “music” is overridden by the chants of your neighbour singing along with the crowd on TV supporting their team. So listen carefully to the chaos, choose which of the chants you like best and sing it aloud.
- The wackiest pre-game ritual.
Some people wear a certain blue shirt for an interview or an important meeting, while someone uses the same pen they wrote class notes with for the exam; we all have our own set of wacky superstitions. Guess what? So do the players and team, find something similar to your superstition? Well, now you know who you’re going to support.
- Favorite celebrity supports
Juhi Chawla, The Bachchans, King Khan and of course, John Abraham, are few of the “ardent” football fans. What better way to pledge your allegiances to these stars than support the team they are rooting for!
- Cuisine
The World Cup honestly is just another excuse to forget your diet and fill up on snacks. So why not support the team where your favorite food comes from. Pizza, anyone?
- Support the team with the most fan following on twitter
Let’s face the fact. You’re only diving in because of peer pressure. Look up twitter, see whom the masses are supporting, there, wasn’t that the easiest thing to do?
