Downtown Kingston Fans Pick World Cup Sides for Love, Looks and Longtime Loyalty

Lisa admits she knows little about football, yet she is certain of one thing: Neymar alone is reason enough to back Brazil. Outside a downtown Kingston shopping area, the woman said her affection for the Brazilian forward was rooted in fantasy rather than tactics. “A Neymar a my man!” she told THE STAR. “Right now me wouldn’t mind sharp him come collect me from the shackles a this country and next year we go run up and dung inna the Brazil water fi New Year’s.” Her remark seemed to nod to Brazil’s well-known New Year’s seaside rituals, when crowds in white gather at the shore and leap through the waves for luck. “A better him dweet cause my man nah dweet! A Neymar mi seh,” she said. “Mi nuh know a thing bout football but from my eye deh a my knee, a Brazil my family seh fi World Cup. So a Brazil me deh. Look how Neymar nice?”

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup now in progress, excitement has already taken hold in central Kingston, where street sellers, buyers and salon workers are choosing allegiances, arguing over favourites and joking about the players who have caught their eye.

World Cup devotion in Jamaica frequently runs generations deep, with large numbers of supporters rallying behind nations such as Brazil, five-time champions; Argentina, three-time winners and holders of the title; England, past winners once; and Portugal, still seeking a first crown. For others, however, the bond comes from childhood, household custom, admired athletes and, among some women, footballers who make the sport worth watching even before kickoff.

“A nuh bout the game fi me. Me just wa know say my team win cause a pure look-good man deh pan me team,” Lisa said.

Although Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior has grown into one of Brazil’s leading figures, Neymar continues to rank among the country’s most familiar and celebrated names for casual observers. Before Neymar, Lisa recalled, another Brazilian had held her attention. “One time a did Marcelo before him retire. Him look like him coulda carry me go pan the north coast, Negril go eat fish and bammy and take some picture. Him seem like dah type deh,” she said. “Me know as a woman a nuh me alone fantasise bout dem player yah,” she added.

Fellow Brazil backer Sash described her attachment to the side as deep and enduring, with hopes of a sixth World Cup title. “Yes a one Vini (Vinícius Júnior), yuh know say a Brazil a me team. A dem affi take it home. A six star we want,” she said. “Vini a my favourite player. A him a the hottest thing, a the newest thing a come out.” When asked whether she would accept a date with the player, she answered without pause. “If him fi take me pan a date? Anywhere him wa go mi ready eno,” she said, laughing. Still, Sash stressed she was no late convert. “I’ve been a supporter from mi know miself and know World Cup. Me cya deal wid the wagonist business. Win, lose or draw,” she said. She conceded, though, that Brazil’s opening result, a 1-1 draw with Morocco, left her wanting more. “The first match deh side yah look shaken, but we will bounce back. Mi believe inna mi side. All when time dem nuh make it, mi still a seh Brazil,” she said.

On Princess Street, hairdresser Speedy named Brazil as her side as well, citing Vinícius Júnior and Neymar as her top picks. “Mi nuh know why, but me just like dem two deh. Them can play good,” she said. Her backing, she said, needed little explanation. “Mi nuh know, eno, but a Brazil mi a cheer fah. Brazil a mi favourite,” she said. Asked whether she would refuse an invitation from the players, she said she would not. “Anywhere dem wa take me, dem take me, different from Jamaica still,” she said.

Brazil did not carry every voice in the crowd. Vendor Juliette spoke openly of her loyalty to Argentina, set to begin their Group J fixture against Algeria on the day of reporting. She traced that passion across many years to former striker Sergio ‘Kun’ Agüero, who left the professional game in 2021 but still commands affection among Argentina followers. “Mi make me grandson name Kun Agüero, so mi affi love him. Mi like how him play,” she said. “Him play like him was playing fi the team.” She was confident Argentina would stay competitive through 2026. “We affi win. Nothing cya make we lose. A we a win 2026 World Cup,” she said.

Shopper Chris, meanwhile, said appearance and personality often steer casual supporters. “Kids and women don’t really understand the game and choose based upon appearance,” he said. A Lionel Messi admirer, he argued that stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo frequently draw wider casual followings through image and market appeal. “Messi no really care. Him just wa play football and go back home,” he said.