With Brazil 2014 fast approaching, and Colombia gracing the tournament for the first time since 1998, See Colombia is going to be examine this year’s World Cup from every possible (Colombian) angle in the coming weeks and months. So for those of you who love the beautiful game, keep an eye on the blog for our new regular feature: Colombian Countdown to Brazil. Vamos Colombia!
In just two months, the first match of this year’s World Cup will kick off in Sao Paolo, between the hosts Brazil, and Croatia. This year’s tournament promises to be a colourful, exciting and dramatic spectacle, as the greatest prize in world sport returns to South America after an absence of 36 years. Argentina were the hosts then, in 1976, and they walked away (although not too far, they were already at home!) with the iconic trophy. Brazil are surely up there with the favourites to win this year’s cup, although those of us here at See Colombia Travel are naturally gunning for another Latin American team in yellow (not Ecuador).
It might seem early to be getting so excited for the World Cup, but any football fans will know that a World Cup year is about as exciting as it gets! One especially fun way to get your anticipation going is by collecting Panini World Cup stickers. Those of you reading outside Colombia may well be saying to yourselves: “Grow up! Stickers are for kids!” To be fair, you wouldn’t be totally wrong, but here in Colombia everybody goes mad for those little stickers. They are to be found on every street corner for sale, and it’s not just children doing the buying: yesterday I witnessed a 65 year old man buying 3 packets, opening them, and then desperately trying to trade his duplicates with anyone around him!
Vendors set up little stalls outside supermarkets, and sell, trade and barter all day long. It’s a really fun way to collect, and makes the whole process of gearing up for the cup a little more interesting; and naturally, Colombians are properly geared up for this World Cup – back after a long absence, this year’s team are likely to qualify from their group, and could even trouble the big boys. Colombian stickers are at the highest premium, and it’ll cost you at least 3 of your own stickers to trade for the likes of Falcao, James Rodriguez or Macnelly Torres.
There are over 600 stickers to collect, which seems a lot, but it gives fans a chance to get to know the names of the players from all over the world who will be representing their countries in Brazil this summer. For instance, how many of you knew that Honduras have a striker named Carlo Costly…? Well I did, ’cause I got his sticker yesterday! I’ve also been lucky enough to get Ronaldo, Messi and Falcao, all within about one week of collecting. It must be fate (or just dumb luck).
So, if you’re getting properly excited for the World Cup and don’t have an appropriate outlet for that enthusiasm, then head down to a street corner near you, grab a sticker album and a few packets, and get collecting like the rest of us. Who knows, in two months you might actually complete the album (I’ve never actually managed this…maybe once when I was 8).
And of course, if anyone is interesting in trading stickers with me, do get in touch…
Chris
