The World Cup Returns

After four long years the World Cup is with us again and already the excitement is building so I decided on a topical post this weekend. I saw the results of an interesting poll in the NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/11/upshot/world-cup-opinions-in-19-countries-likes-dislikes-predictions.html?_r=0 and thought it was worth looking at. They polled fans in 19  countries asking who they thought was going to win the World Cup and who they were rooting against.

Who Will Win the 
World Cup?

ACCORDING TO…	TOP ANSWER	2ND ANSWER
Argentina	Argentina	Brazil
Australia	Brazil	Australia
Brazil	Brazil	Germany
Chile	Brazil	Chile
Colombia	Brazil	Colombia
Costa Rica	Brazil	Germany
England	Brazil	Spain
France	Brazil	France
Germany	Brazil	Germany
Greece	Brazil	Spain
Italy	Brazil	Italy
Japan	Brazil	Japan
Mexico	Brazil	Germany
Netherlands	Brazil	Netherlands
Portugal	Brazil	Portugal
Russia	Brazil	Russia
South Korea	Brazil	Spain
Spain	Spain	Brazil
USA	USA	Brazil

 

Which Team Are You 
Rooting Against?

ACCORDING TO…	TOP ANSWER	2ND ANSWER
Argentina	England	Brazil
Australia	USA	Iran
Brazil	Argentina	Brazil
Chile	Argentina	USA
Colombia	Argentina	USA
Costa Rica	Mexico	Argentina
England	Russia	Germany
France	Algeria	France
Germany	Iran	Honduras
Greece	Germany	USA
Italy	USA	Iran
Japan	South Korea	Japan
Mexico	USA	Iran
Netherlands	Iran	Germany
Portugal	France	Germany
Russia	USA	Russia
South Korea	Japan	South Korea
Spain	Iran	Germany
USA	USA	Russia

Note: The answers shown exclude the generic answers “Don’t know” and “I don’t have a least favourite team”.

 

You can see some interesting political statements here; Japan and South Korea don’t like each other at all with a massive 40% of Japanese fans naming South Korea as the team they least want to win and 38% of Koreans naming Japan despite them previously joint hosting the WC. Argentina’s Latin neighbours don’t like them very much, the USA, Germany and Iran aren’t very popular. The Greeks are obviously still smarting from their financial bail out led by Germany and you won’t find many German flags in Athens. The Argentines are still bitter about losing the Falklands war and want England to fail whilst England fans are probably influenced by the situation in the Ukraine and are not fans of Russia. As a Brit I would have gone for Argentina not Russia or Germany had I been asked.

Also interesting is who fans believe will win the World Cup. The Brazilians, Argentines, Spanish and amazingly the USA believe their team will bring home the World Cup. Whether the US fans backed their own team out of patriotism or a misunderstanding of ‘soccer’, there’s more chance of Putin and Obama being found kissing in a broom cupboard at the UN than there is of the trophy being won by the USA. The poor showing of the Spanish against the Netherlands last night suggests they won’t lift the trophy for a second time running. Personally I back the Brazilians, they have a good team and as the referee in the opening match against Croatia showed, the match officials aren’t afraid to give the host nation a helping hand to win games sadly. Whoever wins it, I just hope it isn’t Argentina!

I’ve been looking forward to this World Cup for a long time, and as I’m emigrating to the US in the middle of it (though luckily not missing any games during the flight) I’ll need to find a bar in the US that’s showing the games. Although England (and the USA) won’t be in the competition any longer by that point. Whoever you are supporting, enjoy the World Cup, it’s an amazing spectacle and it’s a four year wait til the next one!