Everyone had originally been discussing who would win this season's league titles or Champions League, but when November officially arrived, the popular topic changed completely.
Compared with club competitions like the Premier League and Champions League, the once-every-four-years World Cup was clearly far more compelling.
As for exactly what there was to watch, some domestic newspapers had listed all the interesting points to make things easier for new fans.
1. The 2022 FIFA World Cup would be Messi-Ronaldo's last dance; it was their final World Cup.
2. China-Germany, a battle of old grudges: the European powerhouse sought revenge against the China national football team.
3. China VS Argentina: Tang Ye and Lionel Messi's first meeting in an international match.
4. France planned to defend their title.
Of all those talking points, half were related to China. It certainly matched the perspective of China national football team fans.
Who were the most nervous fans before the World Cup began? Argentina and Portugal fans of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?
Actually, no!
The most nervous ones were the damn China national football team fans.
China's group-stage draw was simply bizarre. Leaving aside Argentina, one of the favorites to win it all, they were a complete dimensionality-reduction strike against China.
Then there was Germany.
The upset at the 2018 FIFA World Cup was still fresh in everyone's minds. Every Germany national football team player carried anger toward the China national football team!
Well, it was not just Germany. Players from plenty of European teams wanted to use the World Cup as an opportunity to beat up China.
Tang Ye had bullied them mercilessly in club football, so they absolutely had to hit back hard in international football!
Mm... with several buffs stacked together, China's fans had reached the point where their hands shook