How to Enjoy the FIFA World Cup (for Kids and Teens)

Last Updated: March 4, 2023 References

The FIFA World Cup is an international soccer (called football in countries other than the U.S.) tournament, with over 200 nations competing to play in the World Cup for each year. ^{[1]
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Research source} The event is held every 4 years, with a total of 32 countries competing. Millions of people tune in either online or in-person to watch the games every 4 years. For many people, the event is a symbol of national patriotism and celebration (which is why it is not just a silly soccer/football game). If you are a young diehard soccer fan or want to get into the games as a kid or teen, here are some ways to enjoy the FIFA World Cup!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Without Going to the FIFA World Cup

1
Enjoy the games online. If you can't make it to the game, don't worry! The games are always broadcast live online, so you can catch up with live updates of the game. In the U.S., Fox and FS1 broadcast all 64 matches of the event. ^{[2]
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Research source} If you have YouTube TV, FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, or DirecTV Stream, you can watch the World Cup as long as you have an active subscription.
- Not all games will be hosted at a suitable time. Because of differing time zones, the game might begin at 4 AM for you when it begins at 10 AM for the country the game's hosted in. So, if you really don't want to miss the live game, wake up earlier to watch the games. You can always watch it later (after the live broadcast) if you want!
- There are different instructions for each website. For example, Fox News gives you a free 30-60 minute preview of the game; after that, you'll need to sign in with a TV provider such as AT&T, Cox, Dish, Hulu, Xfinity, or YouTube TV. If you don't know which one to choose, ask your parents. After you sign in, you can continue watching the World Cup for free!
2
Sing the official World Cup songs. Ever since 1990, there have been official songs and anthems for each year's World Cup. Songs for the World Cup itself have existed since 1962. ^{[3]
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Research source} For example, 2022's World Cup (the current one) features Hayya Hayya (Better Together) by American singer Trinidad Cardona, Nigerian singer Davido, and Qatari singer AISHA. 2010's World Cup song was especially popular- Waka Waka (It's Time for Africa) for 2010's South Africa World Cup gained 18 million likes on YouTube, and people still listen to and sing it regardless of whether there's a World Cup tournament that year. World Cup songs include:
- Hayya Hayya (Better Together) by Trinidad Cardona, Davido, and AISHA - 2022 World Cup in Qatar
- World Cup by IShowSpeed - 2022 World Cup in Qatar
- Live It Up by Nicky Jam ft. Will Smith and Istrefi - 2018 World Cup in Russia
- We Are One (Ole Ola) by Pitbull - 2014 World Cup in Brazil
- Waka Waka (It's Time for Africa) by Shakira - 2010 World Cup in South Africa
- The Time of Our Lives by Il Divo - 2006 World Cup in Germany
- Boom by Anastacia - 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan
- The Cup of Life by Ricky Martin - 1998 World Cup in France
- Gloryland by Daryl Hall and Sounds of Blackness - 1994 World Cup in the U.S.A.
- Un'estate italiana by Edoardo Bennato and Gianna Nannini - 1990 World Cup in Italy
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3
Show your patriotism for the teams you are supporting. If you support specific countries, wear the soccer/football kits of that country. If you don't have the country's soccer/football kits, wear the country's flag colors. For example, the U.S., France, the Netherlands, Costa Rica, Russia, and Australia have blue, white, and red in their flags, so wear clothing of those colors. Germany has black, red, and yellow in its flag, so wear clothing and accessories of those colors. Spain has red and yellow, so get red and yellow clothing. Do this while watching a World Cup game at home, as you may not be able to wear special clothing to school (especially if your school requires uniforms).
- Get accessories such as sunglasses, wristbands, headbands, and elastic ties in the colors of your country if you're really patriotic.
- You could also sing the countries' national anthems and paint the country's flag on your face. Paint flags onto your nails, and show other signs of patriotism.
4
Host a World Cup party with your friends (with your guardians' permission). If you have time, host a World Cup party with your friends. Plan out the party, like the amount of food offered and the activities. You can also plan to watch some of the World Cup games with your friends if you'd like. Then, you can cheer for your favorite team or player.
- Get snacks such as popcorn and chips. Finger foods are the best, as they are easily eaten.
- A soundtrack of World Cup songs would also be suitable. You can also include the unofficial songs for each year's World Cup.
- For fun, you could even play soccer after a World Cup game ends.
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Have a World Cup online chat or meeting. Using a platform such as Facetime, Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, or Discord, set up a group chat specifically about the World Cup. Then, invite your classmates and friends to talk about it in the chat! If you're using Discord, setting up a whole new server specifically for the World Cup is unnecessary; just setting up a text channel inside of a main server (e.g. a friend server, school server, or class server) is needed.
- You can host meetings using the group chat you created. There, you can stream the World Cup live or play World Cup songs while you and your friends snack on popcorn, pretzels, and chips!

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Going to the FIFA World Cup

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Take a trip to the country where the FIFA World Cup is hosted. For example, World Cup fans in 2018 traveled to Russia and stayed as spectators in stadiums such as the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. This year's World Cup is hosted in Qatar, which has been controversial due to its poor human rights record. Many people have been put off because of the country's bad reputation and the warm temperatures (even in November, it averages 84 degrees Fahrenheit/28 degrees Celsius). Ask your guardians to take you there if they have the time. As the World Cup this year is hosted when there's school (not in the summer), you may not have time to travel there this year.
- Even though it is controversial, 3 million tickets to the event were sold ^{[4]
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  Research source}, which means World Cup fans still flock to the stadiums.
- Even though the World Cup is hosted in November-December this year (due to the dangerously high temperatures in Qatar in the summer), the temperatures still average 84 degrees Fahrenheit or 28 degrees Celsius! Make sure to stay hydrated in the stadium, as there is a large chance of overheating! All of the stadiums will be air-conditioned due to the heat, so you don't need to bring cool items with you- hydration is enough. ^{[5]
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Tour the country that is hosting the World Cup. While you're at the country hosting the World Cup, travel and sight-see! Countries such as Uruguay, Brazil, France, Switzerland, Spain, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, South Africa, Germany, and Russia have hosted World Cup events since 1930 (the first World Cup)! It has been hosted every four years; the exceptions are during the years 1942 and 1946 because of World War II. This year (2022), Qatar is hosting the World Cup. So, ask your parents to travel to Qatar if you can, and tour the various tourist destinations!
- Places such as the Souq Waqif, Museum of Islamic Art, the National Museum of Qatar, City Centre Park, and the Qatar National Library are popular tourist attractions. ^{[6]
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3
Get tickets to the opening game and all of the big games. The opening game and the end game are both very exciting events, so try not to miss them! Buy tickets to countries you support. If you support one of the countries in a game, try to buy the tickets for that game. Cheer hard, show your patriotism, and make sure to stay hydrated during the game, as you're going to be in the stadium for more than an hour!
- Wear light clothing to the games and a light jacket (as after you enter the stadium, it might get a bit chilly since there's air conditioning).

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Understanding the World Cup

If you are a new viewer of the World Cup, you may wonder how it works! Here is an explanation of how the World Cup works.

1
Know what the World Cup is. The World Cup is an international men's soccer/football tournament with 32 countries competing for the World Cup. The 32 countries are actually chosen from around 200 teams that have joined FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association). The 200 teams match each other years before the World Cup, and that is how the teams are chosen.
2
Understand how the World Cup is played. ^{[7]
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Research source} The 32 teams are split into eight groups (with letters A-H), each with four teams. The four teams play every other country. For example, Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, and the Netherlands are in Group A. Qatar plays Ecuador, Senegal, and the Netherlands. Ecuador plays Senegal and the Netherlands. Senegal plays the Netherlands. Lastly, the Netherlands plays Qatar, Senegal, and Ecuador (although these games have already been played once- Qatar plays the Netherlands, Senegal has played the Netherlands, and Ecuador played the Netherlands).
- A victory is 3 points, a draw is 1 point, and a loss is 0 points.
- Then, the top two teams (the teams with the most points) from the group of 4 teams advances to the knockout stage. Since there are 8 groups of 4 teams, 2 multiplied by 8 is 16, meaning there will be 16 teams in the knockout stage.
- If there is a tie (e.g. 0-0, 1-1), then the team with the highest goal difference progresses to the next phase. If the goal difference is the same, the team with the most goals scored progresses. If the goals scored are also the same, there is another way of deciding which team progresses. If there are more than two tied teams, the team with more points in the matches between them will pass. The fourth criterion is that the team with the least amount of yellow and red cards passes. The last step is just flipping a coin to see which team passes (if it is a pure draw). ^{[8]
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- The 16 teams will then compete with each other. Then, the remaining 8 teams will progress to the quarter-finals. Then, the 4 teams that win go to the semi-finals. The third-place teams will also have play-offs. Lastly, the last two winning teams will have a final match. This is the most exciting part of the tournament for fans across the world. The winning team gets the World Cup!
3
Know which teams are currently participating. Out of the 211 countries in FIFA ^{[9]
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Research source}, 32 countries are participating in the World Cup. 32 countries have qualified to enter the World Cup tournament. In 2026, this will change, as 3 countries (the U.S., Canada, and Mexico) are hosting the tournament. The 32 teams are divided up into 8 groups of 4 teams. The groups are: ^{[10]
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- Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, and the Netherlands
- Group B: England, Iran, U.S.A. and Wales
- Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Poland
- Group D: France, Australia, Denmark, and Tunisia
- Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, and Japan
- Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
- Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
- Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea