Last Cheers: Fans Await World Cup Final
July 7, 2006 — -- For people across the globe from all walks of life, this game is a matter of national pride and unfettered passion.
The World Cup final between Italy and France scheduled for Sunday is for much of the world the biggest sporting event. The match will end nearly a month of enthusiasm, played out in a wide range of expressions.
Some fans cover their homes with a flag, or even paint a cow in their national colors.
In Japan, others put their national jersey on crows, who then kicked miniature soccer balls.
In the small African nation of Togo a shaman performed voodoo to help raise the energy of the national team.
But even if your country isn't in the tournament, you could still catch a severe case of World Cup fever.
Buddhist monks in Thailand were chided for staying up all night and watching the games when they should have been ministering to the faithful. There's even a statue of the English star David Beckham among the Buddhas.
Even in North Korea, where citizens are kept in the dark about missile tests and most everything else, fans could watch the games on state television.
So what is about this little ball that brings grown men to tears?
Whatever it is, it may be healthy for the world. It is perhaps the only time when sworn enemies, such as Israelis and Palestinians, can put differences aside at least for 90 minutes.
People in Iraq can take a break from the daily hardship of their homeland, and children everywhere can dream of World Cup glory.
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