Let's begin with a disclaimer: I am absolutely not a football fan, and this text is absolutely not for football fans. It is for those who are just slightly interested in the game and would like to dive a bit deeper. It is for those whose partners will be glued to livestreams for a straight month and who would like to share the joy, or at least understand why everyone is suddenly shouting at a screen. It is also for those who simply want to go out, join the crowds, and enjoy the atmosphere.

In other words, this is for anyone who, for some reason, wants to follow 22 men running across a pitch and fighting for one ball. Culture comes in many forms.

Competition is what makes football genuinely interesting. You need someone to support, someone to emotionally invest in, someone whose victory will briefly make you believe in destiny.

The favourites this year are expected to include Spain, France, England, Argentina, and Portugal. But of course, we also strongly encourage you to support teams from the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Regional loyalty is a perfectly valid strategy, especially when you don't know what else is going on.

Don't try to understand every tactical detail immediately, and definitely don't bet money. That isn't character development; that is regretting your decisions later.

You can choose your team based on heritage, star players, underdog energy, dramatic facial expressions, or, if you are a girlie girl, the best kit. Yes, I give advice like that. Once you choose your fighter, the matches become much more interesting. Because suddenly, the game isn't just the game. The game is personal.

You don't have to become a football analyst overnight. Nobody is asking you to start saying things like “high press” with confidence. But it helps to learn the basics: how long a match lasts, what offside means, why players get yellow and red cards, and why everyone becomes so personally offended by the referee.

A small amount of knowledge goes a long way. Once you understand the structure, the chaos starts to look slightly less chaotic.

I also recommend watching some legendary football moments on YouTube. The energy is ridiculous. Last-minute goals, impossible saves, dramatic penalties, grown men crying on grass — this is cinema. If you aren't a fan, football should be pure pleasure, and iconic moments deliver that in its most concentrated form.

You can choose one of the fan zones if you want the full experience pro max, or go for a pub with livestreams if you prefer something slightly less intense but still very committed.

This is where the game gets serious. Enter LEGO, with its new collection dedicated to the World Cup.

The LEGO Editions FIFA World Cup Official Trophy building set is a 2,842-piece sport set designed for kids, collectors, football fans, and people who need something to do during a 0–0 draw. The model is a detailed replica of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Trophy, complete with two human figures holding up the Earth, the iconic globe, and a plaque.

Not only is it an extremely cool collectible, it is also something you can build while watching the matches that are, let's say, more strategically paced. This works especially well if you decide to stay indoors, invite friends over, and call it a chilled night in. Football on the screen, LEGO on the table, snacks everywhere. Suddenly, you aren't avoiding sport. You are curating an experience.

Watching with someone who understands the game is useful, but proceed with caution. They will be fully invested and may not have much time to explain what is happening because they are too busy experiencing seven emotions at once.

Luckily, there are commentators. They explain the action, add context, and sometimes say things so dramatic or confusing that they become entertainment in their own right.

Also, don't be afraid to ask questions. “Why is everyone angry?” is a perfectly valid place to start.

You don't have to become a fan for life. You don't have to buy a scarf, memorise club histories, or develop strong opinions about formations. But I do promise that once you start following football even a little, you will become invested to some extent.

The World Cup is the biggest football event for a reason. It is spectacular, emotional, fast, loud, deeply professional, and occasionally completely absurd. The speed, the manoeuvres, the drama, the crowd, the tension — it is all part of the game.

You can jump in at the finals, of course. That is allowed. But I recommend following the competition from the very beginning. Choose a team, find your crowd, learn just enough to be dangerous, and let the World Cup do what it does best: turn even the most casual viewer into someone shouting “How was that not a foul?” with alarming confidence.