This was great! Way better than what's to come in the World Cup, I'm sure. I loved living through this (and vaguely remembering where I was at the time myself) via your words. A new genre idea: story or novel told entirely through that live commentary text thing they do on BBC Sport. And the photos are ace, especially "Daniel on Tour"! Was that really for/about you?!
I’m not thrilled about the World Cup, but check back with me in a few days or weeks and I might’ve changed my tune. The time difference this time is a killer, I’m too old to be staying up all night.
I don’t think I can handle any more ideas, I have so many already, but…yours is a damn good one! The wheels are now churning in my head, thinking about how to make this work.
I’d still like to think that the ‘Daniel on Tour' was for me 😉 I didn’t meet any other Daniels sitting in that area 😂
Top three as in who I like or want to win? Or favourite teams? Or the three best? Or who I think will win? I have to overcomplicate this, don’t I 😂
None of my three preferred teams qualified: N Ireland, Ukraine or Nigeria. I root half-heartedly for England and the USA (though it’s hard to these days). I’m not in the business of making predictions, but I’ll say the most likely teams to win it are Cape Verde, Uzbekistan or Jordan 😉
Why do I start football conversations?! This always happens to me 🙃 I'm still cringing about when I was extolling the virtues of Lamine *J*amal to @Vincent Raison! 🙈
I love this play by play so much! How cool to get to go to the matches! The photo of you waving your flag is awesome 🤣
I don't have bragging rights quite like yours, however, my World Cup origin story took place that same summer, 2006, when I was studying abroad in ... ITALY. IMAGINE!!!! The streets of Florence absolutely erupted. It was a cool experience.
We are super excited in my house about the World Cup. Happy opening match day!!!
Oh that would have been terrific being in Italy when they won it! Crazy that they haven’t even qualified for ages, how the mighty have fallen.
It was fun going to the matches for sure, but also tiring and for a football nerd like me, it was tough missing so many matches (on TV) while driving all over the place. I used to be the kind of person who made sure to watch EVERY match of every tournament. I’ve mellowed over the years and this year will watch what I can. The time zone means a lot of good matches are on at 2am or 4am here though.
I often regret never having taken an adventure like this in my youth. What a life you've led so far, my friend! For me it's the vast relationships you've cultivated across international borders. Very cool!
The Sommermārchen... It was such a good time, the weather being perfect and the vibe in Germany... never had that again. I went to a lot of fan zones, too, and how we cried after the Italy game 😅
Did you travel around Germany? Where did you live at the time?
As a Northern Ireland and mild England supporter, we’re no fans of the German football team (sorry!) but that World Cup was so magical, all the people we met were so nice, the vibe was great, so positive, that we were all rooting for Germany after a while. I was actually upset when they lost to Italy, and that was one of the rare years where I watched the 3rd place match, when Germany were terrific against Portugal.
I lived in Aachen and traveled to Cologne a few times. It really was a magical time, maybe that's why loosing to Italy hit so hard - and, Italy being Italy, of course 🤭
I do root for Germany, but my other half is Dutch, so I it's pretty fun as Germany and the Netherlands are "arch enemies" 😜
What a fun adventure! 2006 was the first World Cup I watched, and only passively. I've gotten more into it since living in Europe. Unfortunately most of the matches I'm interested in this year happen super early in CET, so my dedication will be tested haha.
Not to get too nerdy with football chat, but in many World Cups (and the Euros), some of the best matches are the most unexpected ones, and some of the most anticipated are the least enjoyable! I still remember Ecuador-Switzerland from 2014, which was perhaps the best match of the tournament. Also one of the lowest viewing figures - so hey, you never know.
I imagine things’ll be fun for you when France play!
I was in the US working full-time in finance during the 2002 World Cup (Japan/S Korea). The time difference killed me - I arranged with my boss to come in later on some mornings so I could watch the 7am local kickoff games. I also stayed up for the 2am and 5am games. I was basically a coffee-wired zombie for a month that summer. This time round, I’m too old for that shit 😂😂😂
This all sounds amazing - impressed at your memory (albeit hazy at times) from 20 years ago!
I was in South America for the 2006 WC. One of the best days of our travels was watching Brazil beat Ghana 3-0 in a bar in Rio, then playing football, very pissed, on the Copacabana later.
For some reason, reading this has brought to mind Before Sunrise and L'Auberge Espagnol as well as lots of memories from 2010 watching the World Cup in London with friends that have now been long gone to their respective countries of origin.
I always say that I'm no sports fan, but I've been an avid supporter of Spain in the Euros in 2004, 2008, and 2012 as well as on the World Cup in 2010 (after we had three big wins in a row my job as a fan was done) and there was something really electrifying about that feeling of communion with other fans and the excitement ahead each match.
I can't imagine how those emotions are amplified when you're actually at the stadium and not in a smelly pub 😂
I have fun memories of all those Spain victories -
2008 - I had just arrived in Canterbury for a summer school job, and we watched the final in a pub full of Spanish people. After Spain won, they ordered loads of champagne and shared with everyone in the pub.
2010 - I was teaching at a summer school with loads of Spanish and Italian teenagers. There was a big viewing in one of the school’s common rooms, packed with kids. The Italians were rooting for the Netherlands. After Spain won, they constantly teased the Italians for weeks afterwards.
2012 - I was living in Kyiv and watched the final just a km or two down the road at the fan zone.
It looks like you managed to find good places and people at every turn. Those Spanish people buying champagne and sharing it were ecstatic and high on the unexpected win 😂 Everyone in my hometown went out that night until 2 am (me included)
Am I the only one who thinks we should all meet up somewhere and have a few beers? (All being the lot of us who can be found in most of your comment sections). Loved this, looking forward to part 2 of Nigeria.
You are most definitely not the only one. It would be fun - some of us have been lucky to have met a few Substackers in real life (I’ve met 5; 3 of them over drinks in London a year ago). There are a few of you in Spain, not a bad place to meet up!
It’s so expensive now that I wonder if going to the World Cup is ever going to be possible for most of us. When I went, tickets were in the 40-50 euro range. Nowadays? Lordy me, they’re awfully dear.
International qualifiers are more accessible - you can probably get Czechia v whomever (Moldova? Finland?) tickets for a couple hundred krona (haha, no idea)
Being snarky and surrounded by people aren’t mutually exclusive 😂
Honestly, though, I was much less snarky back then. Which is a shame I think, life could’ve been more fun much earlier, but we live and learn, I guess.
The first time this piece popped on my feed, I knew I wanted to read it, but I was distracted (by what I don't even remember) and wayside and it totally slipped my mind until I suddenly remembered today and I had to literally search for you to find this! Well worth all the hullabaloo, I enjoyed it incredibly!!! The way your memory and physical state seemed to decline as the tournament advanced was of course hilarious, but also made me exhausted just reading it! Still, great adventures are always worth remembering (or half-remembering!) Cheers!
Thanks Alex, this is such a lovely comment, glad it was worth the hullabaloo 😂
I’m exhausted just thinking about it. I’m a wreck today from staying up till 2am watching Brazil-Morocco, I’m barely functioning today, whereas 20 years ago I’d have to keep on trucking/drinking/whatever!
I am always amazed by how much travel you've done!
My only "story" related to the world cup involves being in Little Italy in NYC... for the very year of which you speak. When Italy won, vendors suddenly appeared from every corner with Italian flags and I ran through the streets yelling "Italia!" and waving the flag I purchased... even though I had not watched any of the matches. 🤣
Oh is the World Cup on? (That's how closely I follow sports.) I have to say, as a non-sports person, this was entertaining, but it sounded like a lot of tiring effort and travel. I can imagine the whole experience would be filled with buzz if you're going through it as a football fan though. Great pictures. Especially you and your mom!
I have been "watching" a bit of hurling lately. Or rather, it's been on at my mother-in-law's while I find something else to do like read the weekend magazines or sit in her garden. The stadium is just across the river from her house, so I do like when there's a match on and I hear the crowds erupt then a second or two later I hear her cheer from the TV room.
Hope you're hanging in there writing Nigeria part 2 and it's not taking too much of a toll on you!
Hurling is an incredible sport and I still haven’t been to a match yet, something I must rectify. I saw a shinty match in Scotland, though, which is quite similar (I believe).
It was very tiring and as a passionate fan, paradoxically while you’re there in the actual country it’s taking place, you end up missing so many other matches with all the travel and other stuff going on. Only a couple of us were really into football, most of the others were there for the atmosphere and experience (which is a pet peeve of some diehard fans, but I totally get it).
Poor old Ireland didn’t qualify, I’m sure you and Frank are gutted 🤣
(only taking the piss, I’ll go and cop myself on now, I’m such a wee gobshite, so I am 😉 - anyway, if you do watch any matches, tomorrow it’s Kentucky v Indiana in the quarterfinals, ought to be a doozy 😂)
Oh absolutely gutted about Ireland. Better luck next year (assuming the World Cup is once a year). Fingers crossed Kentucky fares better, now that I know we even have a team. 😆
Delicious, loved it! And the photos! 🤩 Though I can't describe myself as a football fan, I'm going to watch some (many?) World Cup matches. Jayne was thinking about a new genre, and I'm thinking the World Cup should have its own official Daniel spin-off 😄
Ahahaha, if the Finnish team could just qualify for the Euros in the first place… 😆 It’s ice-hockey, ice-hockey, ice-hockey here 😝 Though, the football culture has shown some good improvement recently.
This was great! Way better than what's to come in the World Cup, I'm sure. I loved living through this (and vaguely remembering where I was at the time myself) via your words. A new genre idea: story or novel told entirely through that live commentary text thing they do on BBC Sport. And the photos are ace, especially "Daniel on Tour"! Was that really for/about you?!
I’m not thrilled about the World Cup, but check back with me in a few days or weeks and I might’ve changed my tune. The time difference this time is a killer, I’m too old to be staying up all night.
I don’t think I can handle any more ideas, I have so many already, but…yours is a damn good one! The wheels are now churning in my head, thinking about how to make this work.
I’d still like to think that the ‘Daniel on Tour' was for me 😉 I didn’t meet any other Daniels sitting in that area 😂
If anyone can pull it off it's you!
Who are your top three teams for the World Cup (if you were watching)?
Top three as in who I like or want to win? Or favourite teams? Or the three best? Or who I think will win? I have to overcomplicate this, don’t I 😂
None of my three preferred teams qualified: N Ireland, Ukraine or Nigeria. I root half-heartedly for England and the USA (though it’s hard to these days). I’m not in the business of making predictions, but I’ll say the most likely teams to win it are Cape Verde, Uzbekistan or Jordan 😉
(or maybe Spain!)
Why do I start football conversations?! This always happens to me 🙃 I'm still cringing about when I was extolling the virtues of Lamine *J*amal to @Vincent Raison! 🙈
I love this play by play so much! How cool to get to go to the matches! The photo of you waving your flag is awesome 🤣
I don't have bragging rights quite like yours, however, my World Cup origin story took place that same summer, 2006, when I was studying abroad in ... ITALY. IMAGINE!!!! The streets of Florence absolutely erupted. It was a cool experience.
We are super excited in my house about the World Cup. Happy opening match day!!!
Oh that would have been terrific being in Italy when they won it! Crazy that they haven’t even qualified for ages, how the mighty have fallen.
It was fun going to the matches for sure, but also tiring and for a football nerd like me, it was tough missing so many matches (on TV) while driving all over the place. I used to be the kind of person who made sure to watch EVERY match of every tournament. I’ve mellowed over the years and this year will watch what I can. The time zone means a lot of good matches are on at 2am or 4am here though.
Enjoy the World Cup!
The middle of the night matches are what we usually have to deal with! This time it’s finally in my time zone and I’m stoked!
So cool that you caught all those matches. You enjoy it too!
I often regret never having taken an adventure like this in my youth. What a life you've led so far, my friend! For me it's the vast relationships you've cultivated across international borders. Very cool!
Thanks Tim, appreciate the kind words!
The Sommermārchen... It was such a good time, the weather being perfect and the vibe in Germany... never had that again. I went to a lot of fan zones, too, and how we cried after the Italy game 😅
Did you travel around Germany? Where did you live at the time?
As a Northern Ireland and mild England supporter, we’re no fans of the German football team (sorry!) but that World Cup was so magical, all the people we met were so nice, the vibe was great, so positive, that we were all rooting for Germany after a while. I was actually upset when they lost to Italy, and that was one of the rare years where I watched the 3rd place match, when Germany were terrific against Portugal.
Oh well, you had your revenge in 2014!
I lived in Aachen and traveled to Cologne a few times. It really was a magical time, maybe that's why loosing to Italy hit so hard - and, Italy being Italy, of course 🤭
I do root for Germany, but my other half is Dutch, so I it's pretty fun as Germany and the Netherlands are "arch enemies" 😜
What a fun adventure! 2006 was the first World Cup I watched, and only passively. I've gotten more into it since living in Europe. Unfortunately most of the matches I'm interested in this year happen super early in CET, so my dedication will be tested haha.
Not to get too nerdy with football chat, but in many World Cups (and the Euros), some of the best matches are the most unexpected ones, and some of the most anticipated are the least enjoyable! I still remember Ecuador-Switzerland from 2014, which was perhaps the best match of the tournament. Also one of the lowest viewing figures - so hey, you never know.
I imagine things’ll be fun for you when France play!
I was in the US working full-time in finance during the 2002 World Cup (Japan/S Korea). The time difference killed me - I arranged with my boss to come in later on some mornings so I could watch the 7am local kickoff games. I also stayed up for the 2am and 5am games. I was basically a coffee-wired zombie for a month that summer. This time round, I’m too old for that shit 😂😂😂
This all sounds amazing - impressed at your memory (albeit hazy at times) from 20 years ago!
I was in South America for the 2006 WC. One of the best days of our travels was watching Brazil beat Ghana 3-0 in a bar in Rio, then playing football, very pissed, on the Copacabana later.
For some reason, reading this has brought to mind Before Sunrise and L'Auberge Espagnol as well as lots of memories from 2010 watching the World Cup in London with friends that have now been long gone to their respective countries of origin.
I always say that I'm no sports fan, but I've been an avid supporter of Spain in the Euros in 2004, 2008, and 2012 as well as on the World Cup in 2010 (after we had three big wins in a row my job as a fan was done) and there was something really electrifying about that feeling of communion with other fans and the excitement ahead each match.
I can't imagine how those emotions are amplified when you're actually at the stadium and not in a smelly pub 😂
I have fun memories of all those Spain victories -
2008 - I had just arrived in Canterbury for a summer school job, and we watched the final in a pub full of Spanish people. After Spain won, they ordered loads of champagne and shared with everyone in the pub.
2010 - I was teaching at a summer school with loads of Spanish and Italian teenagers. There was a big viewing in one of the school’s common rooms, packed with kids. The Italians were rooting for the Netherlands. After Spain won, they constantly teased the Italians for weeks afterwards.
2012 - I was living in Kyiv and watched the final just a km or two down the road at the fan zone.
2026 - tbd 😉
It looks like you managed to find good places and people at every turn. Those Spanish people buying champagne and sharing it were ecstatic and high on the unexpected win 😂 Everyone in my hometown went out that night until 2 am (me included)
Always love your trips down memory lane Daniel!!!
Looks bloody brilliant. I’d love to have done that. I would have been as hammered as you 😆😆😆 Great photos.
Brilliant, but tiring. Just thinking about it is exhausting. I was up till 2am watching Brazil-Morocco and I’m shattered today 😂
Yeah but I bet you had a couple of beers 🍻
Am I the only one who thinks we should all meet up somewhere and have a few beers? (All being the lot of us who can be found in most of your comment sections). Loved this, looking forward to part 2 of Nigeria.
You are most definitely not the only one. It would be fun - some of us have been lucky to have met a few Substackers in real life (I’ve met 5; 3 of them over drinks in London a year ago). There are a few of you in Spain, not a bad place to meet up!
This sounds like so much fun. I still dream of going to the World Cup someday (as a spectator, I’m not completely deluded!)
It’s so expensive now that I wonder if going to the World Cup is ever going to be possible for most of us. When I went, tickets were in the 40-50 euro range. Nowadays? Lordy me, they’re awfully dear.
International qualifiers are more accessible - you can probably get Czechia v whomever (Moldova? Finland?) tickets for a couple hundred krona (haha, no idea)
You often say that you're snarky, but you're surrounded by people. I get it, it's your Sub-schtick.
These stories could easily end up in a book read by more people. They're brilliant! ❤️
Being snarky and surrounded by people aren’t mutually exclusive 😂
Honestly, though, I was much less snarky back then. Which is a shame I think, life could’ve been more fun much earlier, but we live and learn, I guess.
Glad you enjoy my stories 🤗
They’re exactly the stories that stick with you, because of your humor. Glad you shared them with us hehe
The first time this piece popped on my feed, I knew I wanted to read it, but I was distracted (by what I don't even remember) and wayside and it totally slipped my mind until I suddenly remembered today and I had to literally search for you to find this! Well worth all the hullabaloo, I enjoyed it incredibly!!! The way your memory and physical state seemed to decline as the tournament advanced was of course hilarious, but also made me exhausted just reading it! Still, great adventures are always worth remembering (or half-remembering!) Cheers!
Thanks Alex, this is such a lovely comment, glad it was worth the hullabaloo 😂
I’m exhausted just thinking about it. I’m a wreck today from staying up till 2am watching Brazil-Morocco, I’m barely functioning today, whereas 20 years ago I’d have to keep on trucking/drinking/whatever!
I am always amazed by how much travel you've done!
My only "story" related to the world cup involves being in Little Italy in NYC... for the very year of which you speak. When Italy won, vendors suddenly appeared from every corner with Italian flags and I ran through the streets yelling "Italia!" and waving the flag I purchased... even though I had not watched any of the matches. 🤣
Oh is the World Cup on? (That's how closely I follow sports.) I have to say, as a non-sports person, this was entertaining, but it sounded like a lot of tiring effort and travel. I can imagine the whole experience would be filled with buzz if you're going through it as a football fan though. Great pictures. Especially you and your mom!
I have been "watching" a bit of hurling lately. Or rather, it's been on at my mother-in-law's while I find something else to do like read the weekend magazines or sit in her garden. The stadium is just across the river from her house, so I do like when there's a match on and I hear the crowds erupt then a second or two later I hear her cheer from the TV room.
Hope you're hanging in there writing Nigeria part 2 and it's not taking too much of a toll on you!
Hurling is an incredible sport and I still haven’t been to a match yet, something I must rectify. I saw a shinty match in Scotland, though, which is quite similar (I believe).
It was very tiring and as a passionate fan, paradoxically while you’re there in the actual country it’s taking place, you end up missing so many other matches with all the travel and other stuff going on. Only a couple of us were really into football, most of the others were there for the atmosphere and experience (which is a pet peeve of some diehard fans, but I totally get it).
Poor old Ireland didn’t qualify, I’m sure you and Frank are gutted 🤣
(only taking the piss, I’ll go and cop myself on now, I’m such a wee gobshite, so I am 😉 - anyway, if you do watch any matches, tomorrow it’s Kentucky v Indiana in the quarterfinals, ought to be a doozy 😂)
Oh absolutely gutted about Ireland. Better luck next year (assuming the World Cup is once a year). Fingers crossed Kentucky fares better, now that I know we even have a team. 😆
Delicious, loved it! And the photos! 🤩 Though I can't describe myself as a football fan, I'm going to watch some (many?) World Cup matches. Jayne was thinking about a new genre, and I'm thinking the World Cup should have its own official Daniel spin-off 😄
I’m sure you’ll be cheering on Finland, right? 😂
Sorry, that’s not nice of me…poor Finland. I’m only laughing along with you because Northern Ireland (my team) and Ukraine didn’t qualify.
I love Jayne’s genre idea - that’s one more to add to the mix, I only have about a dozen different ideas now!
Ahahaha, if the Finnish team could just qualify for the Euros in the first place… 😆 It’s ice-hockey, ice-hockey, ice-hockey here 😝 Though, the football culture has shown some good improvement recently.