Will you wear my shirt?
So amidst all the World Cup fever, what do you do if your country’s national soccer team didn’t make the cut? Do you root for someone else? Or do you simply disengage from all the madness? The fact is that for most people, the excitement of the World Cup is simply too good to pass up.
That’s why you’ll find Ecuadorians wearing Italian jerseys, Colombians wearing Spanish jerseys and Guatemalans wearing Mexican green…or black as is the case this year.
But what determines what country you cheer for when yours doesn’t make it in? For many it’s a matter of going back a few generations. You hear things like: my grandparents were Spanish or I’m going for a Spanish-speaking country or I want the Cup brought back to South America, or I love French culture- allez les bleus! or I need Brazil to win so I can win the pool. People always manage to find an excuse to cheer because it’s so much more thrilling when you are invested in the game than when you are just a passive viewer.
You’ll find camaraderie is alive and well among people of many nations during this international month-long soccer extravaganza. But, as with everything, there are exceptions. There are certain countries whose jerseys some people simply cannot wear for fear they’ll break out in hives, or worse, be disowned. So if you ask a Colombian to wear the Argentinean shirt, the answer could very well be “Heeeeelll, no!” The rivalry and the history between the 2 countries simply prohibit this. You may be Colombian, and your best may be from Argentina, maybe even your wife, and you may love going to Argentina, and eating all the parts of the cow, and dancing the tango, but you will not, a celeste (sky blue) shirt wear if you don’t want to send your Colombian father to an early grave.
When it comes to soccer, it’s clear that passions run deep. So next time you see a Spaniard wearing a Mexican shirt, have some fun imagining the motivation behind it. All in all, it’s great to see the degree of camaraderie, support and enthusiasm that is generated around soccer and shared by so many. It makes you wish the World Cup were not every four years. Hope your team is doing well, but if their chances of making it to the next round of the World Cup are looking rather slim…what shirt will you be wearing?
-Mariella @Latinminds
