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The Guardian World1 min read
The beauty of sharing the first World Cup with your child
TL;DR
Experiencing the World Cup for the first time is nostalgic, but sharing it with your child brings a unique joy. The tournament evokes memories of childhood heroes and significant life moments.
Key points
- Sharing the World Cup with your child creates unique joy
- Childhood heroes evoke nostalgia during the tournament
- Adulthood brings ambivalence to the World Cup experience
- Memories of past tournaments are significant life moments
- The excitement of the first World Cup is unforgettable
Mentioned in this story
RonaldoRoberto CarlosKaka
World Cup
There is nothing like the wonder of your first World Cup - the misty-eyed nostalgia of youth, summers that seemed to last forever, the gargantuan stars you believed were immortal.
In a blink of an eye those childhood heroes became a cut-to in the crowd - Ronaldo, the original, with Roberto Carlos and Kaka - greying legends in suits instead of swashbuckling boots. Still a twinkle in their eye. Aura with achy knees.
Tournaments once so defined now blur into adulthood ambivalence, postcards plotted along the timeline of your life, the details growing grainy. That one you rushed home from school for, those barbecues with your mates, the one you watched in your first house. The summers ended - with a wink, a shootout or a "why didn't he square it?"
The World Cup cycle seems to pedal round far quicker as an adult, yet something huge changed since Qatar four years ago - a tournament lived through a sleep-deprived haze in soft-play centres and binge-watching Bluey. But the past few weeks have brought an unexpected joy.
Because, yes, there is nothing like your first World Cup, but there's also nothing like the first World Cup you enjoy with your kid.
In the nick of time, our almost six-year-old has become head-over-heels obsessed with the beautiful game - marvelling at its greatest stars, hooked by a cast of new characters in vibrant kits, kidsplaining their celebrations to his parents. What a privilege to share those earliest footballing memories with him.
We thought it might not happen, and that would be absolutely fine, because you can dress them up in Three Lions babygrows and joke about Project Mbappe, but falling in love with the sport has to come naturally - through knees grazed on the playground and a childhood intrigue that breeds between young mates.
"Who's better, Messi or Ronaldo?!" The eternal question.
Image caption,
Lionel Messi, at 38, stills resonates with kids in the playground
Four years ago, any effort to watch a game together was met with the same stubborn toddler resistance as suggesting a midday nap. Suddenly, here we are, knee-deep in Panini swapsies, reeling off an all-star French attack, pointing out the flags and badges of all 48 nations. Shiny Brazil!
Q&A
What is the significance of sharing the World Cup experience with a child?
Sharing the World Cup with a child creates a unique bond and adds a new layer of joy to the experience, transforming nostalgia into shared memories.
How does the World Cup experience change from childhood to adulthood?
As adults, the World Cup often becomes a blur of responsibilities, contrasting with the vivid, carefree memories of childhood excitement.
Who are some legendary players mentioned in relation to the World Cup?
Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, and Kaka are highlighted as legendary players who evoke nostalgia from past World Cups.
What emotions are associated with the first World Cup experience?
The first World Cup experience is filled with wonder, nostalgia, and a sense of timelessness, often tied to significant life events.
