During the last FIFA World Cup in 2014, I happened to be in Croatia, visiting family and getting my citizenship there. Croatia played the opening game versus Brazil and it seemed like I was one of the only people not watching. I had gone to see a movie with a couple of friends and the rest of the theater was deserted, with everyone at home watching the game. I only caught the tail end of the game, which Croatia lost.
I couldn't see the appeal in it. It was just a bunch of sweaty, overpaid men running around a field for 90 minutes. And in some ways, it is that. But it's also so much more.
It wasn't until this year that I realized the true thrill of watching the World Cup and tournaments like it. Since the U.S. didn't make it into the cup, I didn't have to split my allegiances. My family and I were fully rooting for Croatia (since almost my entire family is from there).
Every week of this year's World Cup, we put on our jerseys, Croatia scarves, and checkered hats and watched the tournament unfold.
I had never paid much attention to soccer games before, but I've found that when you deeply care about who wins, then the game is exhilarating. Every time Croatia's team got possession of the ball, my heart jumped and my entire body was high on adrenaline at the idea that this could be the moment when they score and advance. And conversely, every time the opposing team got the ball, my entire sense of being was filled with dread and anticipation.
Somehow, my little country of Croatia (a country the size of West Virginia, with a population of only around 4 million) was killing the game, beating every team in its group.
It was after the game against Russia, in which Croatian president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović showed up, stole hearts, and inspired so many memes, that I realized why this dumb sport was so important to me and millions of people around the world.
It's really about nationalism and patriotism. Seeing the country you love so much be recognized for something by so many people is an amazing feeling.
Seeing Croatia beat England and make it all the way to the final against France, something that they had never done before, was a feeling of worldly recognition that I had never seen Croatia experience.
Growing up, I would have to explain to everyone I befriended what Croatia was. People would hear me speaking Croatian and just assume that I was Russian. If I showed them pictures of Croatia, they would be shocked to see how beautiful of a country it really is.
But after this World Cup, people know what Croatia is. They know that this tiny nation has heart and an underdog spirit, even in the face of a world-class team like France's.
Having people know about my country and think of it in a positive light is a gift I would never have thought would be given through soccer. But that's what the World Cup does. It causes countries that might not ever have reason to interact with each other (or even might not like each other) to engage in some friendly competition.
The sport is entertaining, but it's the connection and the exhilaration that keeps me watching the games. Croatia might not have won the cup, but it won my heart.
