I’d be curious to discuss what country adjusting for population exhibits the LEAST interest in World Cup soccer.
The natural and reflexive answer here is the USA, but I doubt this is true, because
Soccer interest is on the rise there and
They’re in the World Cup and people will watch their countrymen play any sport.
Canada, for instance, might be even less interested. We don’t have a team in it. India perhaps even less; like Canada, they’re not in it and soccer is not the country’s most popular sport.
Interestingly, even in the most 3rd World of 3rd World countries, some form of soccer is played in the streets. At least, if what I’ve seen on all the different PBS, NatGeo, and travel shows on TV is truly representative of things.
I’m reminded of that scene in Spies Like Us where the freedom fighters want to use Dan Akroyd’s head as a soccer ball.
I’d certainly argue for Canada–no national professional league, with only Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC representing fully professional ball (and them in the primarily American MLS). With a strong tradition of other sports, particularly winter sports, it’s not super surprising that Canada might be less of a footy nation.
I might make a purely anecdotal argument for the Pacific Islands, particularly the more US- and UK-influenced ones. American football and rugby are very popular in Tonga, the Samoas, PNG, etc., but I’ve not sen much footy.
In general, places that have never shown a great deal of interest in the sport and whose people seemingly have more important things to worry about than the results from a soccer tournament. For me those would be: most countries in Asia (places like Bhutan, Pakistan, and Laos) and countries in the South Pacific. Don’t think I can pin ONE single country down as THE one that has the least interest in the FIFA World Cup but I’m guessing that any of those countries would be a good bet for that.
India has never qualified for a World Cup. I don’t know if the tournament receives significant attention there anyway, though.
North Korea has qualified twice, including recently in 2010, and the leadership has devoted significant resources to the soccer team. You’re probably right that the general public may have little exposure to this this year’s WC, though, since NoKo did not qualify.
And Norway has among the highest per capita rates of participation and television viewing, according to the authors of Soccernomics.
A recent NY Times(?) poll of fans from participating nations revealed that 60% of U.S. respondents said they just didn’t care at all about the World Cup. Surprisingly, French and English apathy rates were in the 50% range.
Oh, hell no. If World War III breaks out, Christ returns or aliens land during the World Cup, you’ll only hear about it over here after the sports news.
I remember even in Iceland hearing that the national team was a Big Deal, and they came surprisingly close to qualifying last year. They play in a rather nice stadium, not far from the indoor arena where Bobby Fischer once won the world chess title.
