Fever Pitch

Soccer-loving Members share their hopes for their national teams at this year’s World Cup in Qatar.

What do an Englishman, a German and a Brazilian have in common? A desire to see Argentina falter at this year’s World Cup, apparently.

According to Member Eduardo Romaneiro, any loss for the Lionel Messi-led side would be “a win for all.”

The quadrennial event kicked off in Qatar on November 20, marking the tournament’s first staging in the Middle East. Controversy around working conditions for migrant laborers and Qatar’s human rights record dominated pre-tournament headlines, but now billions are tuning in around the globe for the action playing out in the eight stadiums.

A European team has lifted the World Cup trophy at the last four tournaments, but Romaneiro, 42, says “it’s time” Brazil returned to the summit of the game.

“If the team can continue to play collectively, with the objective of winning, as opposed to playing for individual accolades, we should do just fine,” he says. “If not, at least make sure Argentina loses.”

Though Romaneiro is old enough to have watched the two most recent of Brazil’s five World Cup wins (2002 and 1994), his first tournament memory is of Brazil being knocked out by Argentina in 1990. Brazil’s 7-1 semifinal humiliation at the hands of Germany in 2014 still smarts as well.

“There are certain things you don’t ask a Brazilian as they sting,” he says. “I’d say both World Cups hosted at home have left us all with some bad scars.”

For Member Florian Kohlbacher, 2014 stands out as a high point for German soccer. It was the nation’s first World Cup win since reunification in 1990 (West Germany emerged winners at Italia ’90). But every fan has to bear some tournament pain. At the last World Cup in 2018, Germany failed to progress beyond the group stage.

“Germany isn’t good at many sports, but in football, we’re traditionally strong,” says Kohlbacher, 44. “We just have to temper our expectations after what happened four years ago.”

Aston Bridgman speaks of his own team’s expectations with typically English self-deprecation.

“This is the question every England fan dreads,” he says. “If we’ve seen a World Cup, we’ve experienced disappointment.”

England have been edging closer to silverware in recent years, losing out to Croatia in a dramatic semifinal in 2018 before falling short in a penalty shootout against Italy in the final of Euro 2020.

Bridgman, 57, is buoyed by the youth and attacking prowess of manager Gareth Southgate’s squad.

“I don’t doubt the quality of the players,” he says. “They’ve just got to learn from their experiences last time around.”

Bridgman is watching games at Traders’ Bar when the six-hour time difference is on his side. When England play in the small hours, he’s up bright and early to support the Three Lions.

Such dedication is typical of World Cup fandom, suggesting the competition’s appeal has endured, despite club soccer superseding the international game in recent years.

“Whether you are a football fan or not, it doesn’t matter, you watch the World Cup,” says Romaneiro. “It’s an important moment in a sport beloved worldwide that transcends cultures and languages.”