With the World Cup exploding across social media, there have been interesting topics hitting Chinese social media sites like Weibo. CCTV5, China’s main sports channel, started the #What Fake World Cup Fans Ask# hashtag, which has almost 4 million views.
One popular post circulating has 26 multiple choice questions that a “real” World Cup fan should be able to answer. Questions include “Who is Argentina’s star player?”. Since Messi in Chinese is phonetically Mei Xi, and Xi is west, the other options include Mei North, Mei South, and Mei East.
Another submission to #What Fake World Cup Fans Ask# is a screenshot, where someone asks “Can the goalie use his hands when he isn’t in the net?” to which a friend responds, “Ha ha ha. No, otherwise he could just carry the ball across the field to score.”
Meanwhile, other users are proud to support the World Cup as “fake” fans, despite knowing few players. @Feel-小阿莉 posts, arguing, “If I don’t understand football, I can’t watch? So if I’m not a music star then I can’t sing?” and “I can’t name 20 players but I too will be up watching in the night, because it makes me happy”. It appears the World Cup will continue to be celebrated around the world, fortunately regardless of people’s knowledge of the game, as true sports spirit prevails.