The 2018 World Cup Is Down To Four: Who Should The United States Root For?

The World Cup is down to the final four teams, with France, Belgium, Croatia, and England all vying for the golden trophy. Both France and England have one World Cup championship, while Belgium and Croatia are both looking for their first. Many people in the United States were not interested in the World Cup because Team USA didn’t make the tournament. However, the television numbers in the U.S. have been positive for FOX, and more people figure to watch the final few games. So, as a country, which of the remaining four teams should United States fans root for to win the World Cup?

 

4. France

Unless you are of French descent, they are probably not the team to root for if you’re in the United States. France simply hasn’t been on the U.S.’s side much in recent decades, leading to a (perhaps unfair) criticism of calling French people cowards—you might have heard the term, “cheese-eating surrender monkeys” from The Simpsons. It would be fine if they win, but there are better options.

 

3. Belgium

Belgium is an exciting, talented team, but it’d be easier to root for them if they didn’t knock out the United States in the Round of 16 during the 2016 World Cup. Whoever wins the semi-final between France and Belgium is likely to be the favorite in the championship match, so the winner from the other matchup is the preferred choice to root for.

 

2. Croatia

Despite being far from an underdog country in 2018, America loves an underdog, and Croatia fits the description. Croatia finished third in the 1998 World Cup, but they haven’t gotten out of the Group Stage since then. 30 years ago, Croatia wasn’t even a country. They are an obvious underdog to root for if you’re looking for that.

 

1. England

England does have a World Cup title, but this year’s squad was not expected to make it to the semi-final—so they are also an underdog. The United States has a deep rivalry with England and had to fight for its independence from Great Britain, but the two countries have a brotherly relationship and might be as close and similar as any two countries in the world. England is like a branch of the family tree for the United States, so they are a good choice to cheer on as the World Cup comes to a close.