World Cup 2026: The same but different – the beauty of the first World Cup with your child
Four years ago, any effort to watch a game together was met with the same stubborn resistance as offering a toddler a nap. Suddenly, here we are, knee-deep in Panini exchanges, reeling from an all-star French assault, flashing the flags and badges of all 48 countries. Brilliant Brazil!
Of course, the environment in which he is involved in this World Cup is different from our childhood experiences, which in turn are different from those of our parents. “Did my grandfather see Pele at Goodison Park?” Poignant for the grandad because he’s an Evertonian, impressive for the little one because his favorite YouTuber Chuffsters pulled the Pele icon card at number 99.
This isn’t a bedtime friendly World Cup for those on this side of the pond – we haven’t stayed up late yet and there’s no way to get to school early, the class teacher whips out a big TV to catch the game Senegal shocked France.
Instead, this World Cup is about climbing into bed at first light with his little brother, cataloging yesterday’s matches and predicting which star player will score; This thirst is quenched with featured packages. A hearty goal kick before breakfast.
Waking up last Wednesday felt like Christmas morning. Each clip opened the gift of another stunning show. Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, LIONEL MESSI DID A HAT-TRICK! Because even though he’s the same age as most of his parents, it’s still Messi who resonates with kids today; His shirt was dotted across the playing fields Sunday morning.
But even though all these things are different, the basic things remain the same.
Filling out sticker books, writing on wall murals, unboxing football figures; Do we have two Bradley Barcola’s if anyone needs them? – We spent hours in the garden pretending to be Harry Kane or Jude Bellingham, trying to recreate the greatest goals of the tournament. This will be the summer we get a new fence.
It’s about seeing your heroes come to life on screen and falling in love with unexpected new heroes. Where can you find the Vozinha shirt?
Enjoying the game through your children’s eyes means looking at the game from a different perspective. Intriguing and millions of questions that you haven’t thought about for decades. An experience completely unaware of the ills of modern football, politics, ticket prices or hydration breaks. Just the pure magic of the game, the innocent curiosity to learn more about it, the uncontrollable ‘Siuuuuu!’ desire. down the supermarket shopping aisles.
Football may be tribal and divisive, but it is essentially a unifying sport; whether it’s fans from around the world hugging each other in a fan park in Mexico City, or a father and his teenage children gathering around a sticker book in Manchester.
Because the World Cup is a phenomenon that transcends generations. My grandfather died early in the tournament; His last interaction with the children was to hang up some England stickers he had bought from his weekly shop. The sadness of losing him is relieved by a small, thoughtful gesture; This is how they will remember him.
Who knows if our young football anorak will also remember the tournament, and it doesn’t really matter. That’s the wonderful childhood gift of living in the moment, maybe next week it’ll move on to something else, maybe we’ll be chasing Pokemon again. And we will enjoy it together.
But right now, what a wonderful satisfaction it is to experience this World Cup in all its wide-eyed wonder, to appreciate the passion we share.
We came to this summer. This is what will last forever for me.
