The World Cup is in full swing in Russia, and unfortunately, the U.S. men’s national team failed to qualify. Despite that fact, there’s still a month’s worth of games to be played, so you might need to cheer for a new team. You could trace your ancestry and pull for that country. Or, you could back a team based on your travel style!
Iceland
The nation of about 330,000 people is in its first World Cup after a quarterfinal run in the 2016 European championships. The soccer team’s rise has coincided with a spike in tourism to the land of fire and ice. Iceland as a team is the plucky underdog that everyone is abuzz over, much like the country itself. With beards covering their chiseled Nordic jaws, Gylfi Sigurðsson and the crew are the hipsters of the World Cup, the soccer world’s answer to lumbersexuals. When you hop on the Iceland bandwagon, just remember, we liked them before it was cool.
Argentina
Runners-up in the 2014 World Cup and 2015 and 2016 Copa America tournaments, the Albiceleste have had their hearts broken many times in recent years. Still, they have Lionel Messi, the man many consider to be the best player of all time. The losses hit him so hard he briefly quit the national team, but he’s back once again to try to will his team to the Promised Land. If you’ve ever had the one trip that’s been on your bucket list forever but seems just a bit out of your comfort zone, Argentina is the team for you.
Brazil
You don’t just travel, you travel in style. You have an Instagram post of you in your designer shades up before you even check into your room. Still, like the Seleção, though you play with flair and maybe go by only one name, you travel beautifully and with a deep love for the game, and you do it well. Each trip for you is a work of art, just like each game is a chance for Brazil not only to win, but to put on a show.
Senegal
You might not travel often, but when you do you make it memorable. Senegal has played in one World Cup before this year. In 2002, the Lions of Teranga upset former colonial rulers France in the tournament’s opening match and rode that momentum all the way to the quarterfinals. Senegal is back this year for the first time since, with a strong team and a wide-open group. Even if you haven’t been on a trip in a while, your family and friends will be astonished when you become the surprise MVP of this summer’s vacation.
England
You’re an eternal optimist. No matter what went wrong on your last trip, you just know this trip is going to be the greatest of your life. Sure, you tripped over your own feet and broke your nose on that trip to Brazil a few years back, your guide left you stranded in South Africa just as you were about to see some amazing wildlife and the only trip you can really call a success was that staycation when you we were a kid. But this, this is your ear. On second thought, don’t root for England … book your next trip with Pineapple7 and have a great time!