Fans choose teams based on players, stories, and passion
Footballers must be born in or have family ties to a country to represent them at the World Cup, but supporters are free to choose any team. Six fans share why they decided not to support their country of birth and instead root for teams with no personal connection.
Paul: France since 1982
Paul, 63, from Sheffield, started supporting France during the 1982 World Cup when they reached the semi-finals. “It was exciting football and beautiful to watch,” he says, citing Michel Platini, Jean Tigana, and Alain Giresse. He introduced his daughter to football with France, enjoying summer nights cheering “Allez Les Bleus!” He knows no other France fans and recalls workplace teasing during the 2004 Euros when France beat England 2-1 after trailing 1-0 in the 90th minute. The next day, his workstation was vandalized. “I wasn’t that bothered,” he says. Paul never regretted his choice, praising Didier Deschamps and Michael Olise. “Everybody thinks you should support England because you’re born in England. Nope.”
Porus: Portugal for Ronaldo and grit
Porus Patwari Jain, 31, from a small industrial town in Rajasthan, started watching the Premier League at age 11, supporting Manchester United where Cristiano Ronaldo played. “Portugal became my chosen team in World Cups,” he says. “I started with Ronaldo, but stayed for Nani, Ricardo Quaresma, Pepe, and Simão. That team had so much passion and grit. They were not a footballing powerhouse, so the story of a small footballing nation fighting against all odds resonated with me.” Portugal has given him “so many moments of distress,” including a recent defeat against Spain. “Ronaldo has played his last World Cup match. Hopefully, they will give me the ultimate heartbreak someday and end up losing on penalties in the World Cup final.”
Iulia: Argentina from a childhood upset
Iulia, 43, from Romania living in Hungary, has supported Argentina since the 1994 World Cup. She spotted the team walking through Budapest last year, believing Lionel Messi might have been among them. A match between Argentina and Romania sparked her love: “I was 11 and it was a big deal that my parents allowed me to stay up to watch,” she says. Romania stunned Argentina 3-2 in the last 16, and Iulia assumed Romania would become world beaters. They never did, but she stuck with Argentina and celebrated their 2022 World Cup win 28 years later.
Rachel: Argentina, Uruguay, and US women
Rachel Fiegler, 38, from New York, supports multiple teams. “The US team was never very good when I was growing up. I’ve never felt strongly as an American as I was raised to be proud of my Cuban heritage,” she says. Surrounded by Argentinian friends and family, she became a fan of Argentina. During the 2010 World Cup, she rooted for Uruguay, loving players like Diego Godín and Luis Suárez. “It was definitely rough to watch Uruguay at this tournament.” However, she supports the US women’s team: “They’re a huge team full of passionate and talented athletes. They really care. I never got that feeling from the men’s team.”
Oliver: Bosnia for Dzeko and resilience
Oliver, 32, from Jersey, started supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina after Edin Dzeko helped Manchester City win the Premier League in 2012. “Beyond the club link, the story of Dzeko’s childhood really hit home,” he says. Dzeko was six when the siege of Sarajevo began and was locked inside his family apartment for four years. “I like to root for the underdog and I don’t think there’s any bigger underdog than a group of people who survived something so tragic,” says Oliver. He visited Bosnia last year and fell in love with Sarajevo: “It’s where east meets west. You can stand where Franz Ferdinand was assassinated.” When Bosnia beat Italy on penalties to qualify for the World Cup, Oliver was delighted. “None of my friends could understand my jubilation. This is only the beginning.”
Angi: Brazil from Kolkata
Angi, 35, from Kolkata, now in Toronto, was born into a family of Brazil fans. India have never qualified for the World Cup, so football fans in Kolkata choose sides. “Rivalries are drawn between neighbourhoods – you are either Brazil or Argentina,” he says. He watched ashen-faced as Brazil lost the 1998 final 3-0 to France. At school, everyone discussed what happened to Ronaldo. In 2002, at age 12, he saw Brazil beat Germany in the final with Ronaldo scoring both goals. “Small neighbourhoods had huge Brazil flags and everybody was watching on small screens. Football cuts across all classes in Kolkata.” Angi does not believe India will play in the World Cup in his lifetime, but supporting Brazil feels like home. “Kolkata and adjoining cities in Bangladesh come alive during the World Cup. I may never be a Brazilian but I will always support the Seleção.”
