There is nothing quite like your first World Cup. The players seem immortal, the summers feel endless, and the stars on the pitch belong to another world entirely. Then, before you know it, those same heroes are grey-haired figures sitting in the stands — Ronaldo, the original, alongside Roberto Carlos and Kaká — legends wrapped in suits, aura intact but knees aching.
As the years pass, tournaments blur into one another. Adulthood brings its own landmarks: the World Cup you rushed home from school for, the ones you watched at barbecues or in your first flat. The cycle spins faster with each passing edition.
Four years ago, Qatar arrived in a fog of sleepless nights and soft-play centres. Attempting to watch a match with a toddler was met with the same stubborn resistance as suggesting a midday nap. But the weeks since this tournament began have delivered something unexpected.
A new set of eyes
Because, yes, there is nothing like your first World Cup — but there is also nothing like the first World Cup you share with your child.
Our almost six-year-old has become head-over-heels obsessed with the game. He marvels at the greatest players, absorbs vibrant kits, and confidently explains every goal celebration to his parents. Watching him fall in love with football naturally — not because of a babygrow or a well-meaning joke about Project Mbappe, but through genuine childhood wonder — is a privilege with no adequate description.
Now we are knee-deep in Panini sticker swaps, reeling off the France attack from memory, and pointing at the flags of all 48 nations. Shiny Brazil!
A different kind of World Cup morning
This is not a late-night World Cup for those of us on this side of the Atlantic. There is no dashing into school early to catch Senegal shock France on a television wheeled into the classroom. Instead, this World Cup begins at first light — two small boys climbing into bed, listing yesterday's results, predicting which star will score next. A hearty rush of highlights before breakfast.
Waking up last Wednesday felt like Christmas morning. Every clip unwrapped another stunning performance. Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi with a hat-trick. And it is still Messi who resonates most with today's young fans — his shirt visible across Sunday morning playing fields everywhere.
The medium is different now. His engagement with this World Cup comes through YouTube clips and Panini icon cards rather than a school assembly television.
