The football World Cup is an event that manages to (for some people) transcend that barrier between sports fans and non-sports fans. Of course, it’s not the only one to do so – many people are interested in the Olympics even if they wouldn’t normally care about the professional trajectories of those competing.
Still, for those who are interested in football on a more regular basis, this can be a great opportunity to talk to all of their friends about it, rather than just those they normally do. That makes understanding what draws these non-sports fans to these big events worthwhile.
An exciting event
The fact that it’s to do with sport at all might not matter to a lot of people, they might just like to get involved with whatever’s happening. It’s the same kind of hype that can lead a lot of people to investigate popular TV shows or movies that are making a lot of noise on social media. Sometimes, people just want to be involved, and the World Cup is a way of watching football that doesn’t require you to become a long-term fan. Everyone knows that the tournament will have an end, and the more condensed nature of it means that it can come, get everyone excited, and wrap up with some exciting knockout games before outstaying its welcome.
In that case, there might still be a distinction between football fans and non-football fans in the level of commitment that people have to these games and the finer details, which doesn’t necessarily matter to enjoyment.
A sense of community?
The reason that many people who are interested in football outside of major events often develop such a passion for it is the sense of community that comes with it – in groups and out groups. There is a part of this when it comes to large events like the World Cup, especially if the home country is one that’s likely to do well. However, that’s not always necessarily going to be something that everyone watching feels passionate about, and at other times, it might just be a way of bringing it to their attention so that they can engage with the World Cup on their own terms – like betting on football matches.
Those not interested
It might also be too tempting to insist that these kinds of events get ‘everyone involved’. There are a lot of people who are put off by football who feel exactly the same, if not more strongly, about these kinds of events. If what someone doesn’t like about football is the sometimes-intense response from crowds in the aftermath of either a big loss or defeat, this can be exacerbated when the stakes are deemed as higher – as in the World Cup. In those cases, the increased exposure to football wherever they go might be something that these people actively dislike – with venues like bars and pubs often being busier due to the games being shown live.
