Since its opening in Brazil last June 12 the World Cup 2014 has dazzled millions of football fanatics around the world, including those from Vietnam.

"Although I cannot deny that watching football matches has caused several troubles in my daily life for lack of sleep, the World Cup games gave me and other Vietnamese fans great joy," said Dang Tien Dung, a Hanoi citizen.

According to a 32-year-old businessman, he did not really mind the inconvenience during the day since he enjoyed watching the games on television even deep into the night.

Due to the difference in time zone, World Cup matches are broadcast on television here from 23:00 to 5:00 o'clock local time.

"Some of my customers who spent the night watching football had to delay their appointments with me since they are tired in the morning," said Dung.

Dung said that since the World Cup comes only every four years, he must savor every minute of the games played by his favorite teams in various venues in Brazil. "It's really an exhilarating feeling to watch the matches," he said.

Another Brazilian football team fanatic, Phan Hai Ninh, 38, a Vietnamese yoga teacher, has her own way of supporting her favorite team.

"I eat more and sleep less just to watch the World Cup games but I am not complaining. It's actually more fun," Ninh said.

She said everyone in the family shares her passion for soccer. "My husband pauses from his doctoral thesis while my son temporarily suspends his preparation for the entrance exams to secondary school. My daughter even misses her drawing classes," Ninh said.

"If I need to go out with friends or meet with business partners in the evening, instead of wearing sparkling dresses or gorgeous makeup, I put on a T-shirt of a team which plays on that day and remember to come home early to watch the match," the yoga teacher said.

Nguyen Thi Thinh, a communication officer in the southern economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City, told Xinhua that she and her husband watch the World Cup games in a coffee shop, drinking beer and cheering for their favorite team.

"Naturally if the team that we root for loses we feel a little bit sad but that's the way it is: there are losers and winners," Thinh said.

Hanh Linh, a fresh graduate, said he watches the games for one day and rests the following day to save energy. "My wish now is for the games to end soon," he said.

According to a survey in 2010 carried out by United States- based Nielsen Holdings, a total of 52 percent of Vietnamese people admitted that they are football fanatics.

But the Vietnamese are not alone; throughout the world there are millions of football fanatics like them.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)