It's World Cup season, which means everyone you know is probably wearing their favorite team's jersey 24/7, talking incessantly about goal differentials, and—my favorite part—heading to a lot of tournament-themed parties to watch a game! If you haven't attended one yet, I highly recommend you do so ASAP. Trust me, whether you're a soccer lover normally or not, it's impossible not to get caught up in the excitement of the World Cup, particularly if you're surrounded by hardcore fans of the sport. But just be warned, as fun as these parties are, they're not all pretty!
Check out 6 things to expect from any World Cup party (besides excessive food and copious amounts of beer):
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1. Screaming: As with any huge sporting event, there'll be plenty of people shouting at the TV when a ref makes a bad call or a goal is scored (or almost scored). Plus, there's also pretty much guaranteed to be at least one person in the crowd rooting for the opposing team, so expect a couple shouting matches between a couple grown adults too. That's just sports, folks!
2. Crazy get-ups: Soccer fans don't just wear jerseys and scream at the top of their lungs. They wear jerseys and paint their faces and carry huge flags while screaming at their top of their lungs. So if you walk in and see a dozen red, white and blue faces, don't be too alarmed.
3. Chants: I was at a concert in Virginia during the USA vs. Portugal game (which I was NOT happy to miss!) and TWICE during the concert, the entire stadium broke out into chants of "USA, USA, USA!" My point? You don't even necessarily need to be watching the game to show team pride and there will be no shortage of chanting at a World Cup party either, even if it's just among your friends.
4. Tears: Maybe your team advancing to the next round isn't the end of the world in the grand scheme of things, but it seems like is to fans who have been rooting for them and watching for…well most likely, their whole lives. Same thing applies if your team has advanced or-gasp–just WON THE WHOLE THING.
5. Brawls: I'm sad to say this, but I've definitely witnessed my fair share of fights at World Cup gathering, especially when there is alcohol involved. Just remember: as heated as you may be, violence is never the answer. Plus, getting into a fight will pretty much ensure that you'll never get invited back to the next party.
6. Passion: In case you haven't gotten it by now, soccer lovers are really passionate. That's the beauty of the sport—it unites fans from around the world like nothing else.
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