世界杯－ The World Cup

On a normal weekend, as I sit forlorn watching yet another disappointing Chelsea performance, I am literally the only person in the pub showing any interest in football whatsoever. However, these last two weeks have seen an explosion of interest in football and wall-to-wall media coverage; although China has not gone to the World Cup, World Cup fever has definitely come to China.

Every single BBQ restaurant and bar has dug out their projector and set themselves up as a venue for watching the World Cup, Chinese fans inexplicably cheer excitedly at random incidents on screen, and get unreasonably angry at the diving and playacting to which seasoned watchers of the Premier League have become accustomed. Sitting outside and being able to eat great BBQ food among the excitement and noise has definitely been a highlight of this World Cup for me, as England are yet to give us much to cheer about. [Edit: this was written before the 6-1 victory over Panama!]

There is a somewhat disappointing focus on celebrity rather than the action itself, and many people here are captivated with C罗 (Ronaldo), 梅西 (Messi) and 内马尔 (Neymar) whilst not being interested in the actual football. Many Chinese describe these newly enraptured watchers as 伪球迷 or "fake football fans" as their interest is sparked by the media coverage for four weeks every four years. But the die hard Chinese fans, of which there are a few, are just happy to share their delight with all the newcomers.

It can only be a good thing for football if more locals become interested in the game and, particularly, if young people are inspired to take up football as a hobby. Watching the World Cup in China is a different experience from the UK, but it's a great one nonetheless!

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Liuzhou Meet & Learn

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