The World Cup atmosphere, which, for many of us, is one of the most infectious feelings there is, has, in the US been confined to the stadiums, the surrounding streets and fan festivals. This has been played out before and comes as no surprise. Football has limited traction in North American culture.
This highlights how different it is being in the US to being in Brazil, where I am now after following the national team in North America. Football’s extremely important role in Brazilian culture explains why the national team at the World Cup is the centre of our universe.
Football isn’t the most popular sport in the US. There are so many other sports it has to compete with, sports that have a longer history there. Many Americans prefer NFL, baseball and basketball – and then you have the Olympics as well. Having been in the country and experienced how the World Cup is being received I came to the conclusion that we are witnessing a practical reflection of a data-backed reality: it is not the biggest and most important thing around.
Back in Brazil one can feel the stark difference in atmosphere and even the catharsis the national team at the World Cup can trigger. It is an opportunity for hard-working and longsuffering people to shout to the world – look what we can do – and take pride in something in which we are the greatest.
Not just in the number of stars above the crest for our five victories, but also in the intensity of our connection to the sport and the joy when we play the game. This all has to be taken into account as it shapes our love for the Seleção and football as a whole. Exciting football, when it is played well, makes our eyes light up.
When I was in the US I could turn on the TV and struggle to find a game. That is not the case in Brazil. Football is so popular there is always a game on some channel, showing a game from anywhere in the world. We have other sports that attract a lot of interest in Brazil too, such as volleyball, motor sport and basketball, but they are not on the same level as football.
The rhythm of life in Brazil – the “land of football” as we call it – is dictated by the team’s progress in the World Cup. Work schedules are affected, as are the operations of certain public services. Daily life doesn’t stop, but we go to great lengths to shape it around Brazil’s matches. Afterwards, as one of our sayings goes, we “play catchup” with everyday life.
That feeling only grows the further the team goes. We have had the draw against Morocco and then wins in the group stage against Haitiand Scotland. The excitement was ramped up even more for the game against Japan and now it is Norway in the last 16 on Sunday.
We throw huge parties and gatherings when the national team plays, but that is not to say we don’t enjoy the rest of the tournament. People in Brazil cherish a good game, whoever is playing, and there have been some high-quality encounters, such as the Netherlands v Japan, Ecuador v Germany, Uruguay v Spain, Portugal v Croatia, France v Sweden and England v the Democratic Republic of the Congo, among so many others.
Brazilians love football and we love anyone else who loves the sport. This is a passion that runs deep. That is the same all over the country. It doesn’t matter if you are in the capital or in a small village with only a few hundred inhabitants, football is our sun and the rest of life has to orbit around it.
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This is not an uncommon conversation in Brazil:
Do you want to come to a concert/cinema/show tonight?
Yes, sure but can we make it after my team/the national team/any team have played?
When Brazil play Norway, many families will have the TV or a big screen showing the game so everyone can share the experience, young and old. We will have the pre-match buildup, filled with predictions and analysis from the nation’s 200 million experts.
Then there is the 90 minutes, with some people even wanting extra time or a penalty shootout just to prolong the excitement. Then we have the post-match banter: it has a definite start time – right after the final whistle – but no set time to end. If the game takes place on a Saturday or the eve of a holiday, the prospect of an extended break adds even more lustre to this ritual.
