This World Cup, consider Uruguay

There is a very powerful bug going around that is infecting us all and causing the most beautiful sickness known to man: World Cup fever.

With only eight nations left, this tournament, watched by 3.5 billion people worldwide, has entered its final stages. In less than two weeks we will know the world champion.

France, Brazil, Belgium, Russia, Croatia, Sweden, England and Uruguay remain fighting for the crown. If your nation did not make it to the World Cup or has already been eliminated, you might be asking yourself which team to support. Well, as I see it, the answer should be pretty easy: Uruguay.

Uruguay is a country of only 3.5 million people. Yet we are a global football powerhouse. “La Celeste” or “Sky Blue” — so-called because sky blue is the color of our jerseys — has won two World Cup trophies, one in 1930 and one in 1950, two Olympic tournaments when the World Cup did not exist in 1924 and 1928, and 15 Copa America titles, more than Argentina and Brazil, our colossal neighbors. We are home to some of the most talented players on the planet. Edinson Cavani, Luis Suarez, Diego Godin and Josema Gimenez are great examples. But we have had great players throughout our history. Diego Forlan, named best player at the 2010 World Cup; Alvaro “Chino” Recoba with his magical kick; Enzo Francescoli, an elegant player who Zinedine Zidane named his child after, to name a few. Going back to the 1950s, we had Juan Alberto Schiaffino and Obdulio Varela, gladiators of the “Maracanazo” — the moment when Uruguay, as underdog, beat Brazil 2-1 in Brazil to claim the 1950 World Cup.

Full disclosure: in case you haven’t noticed, I am from Uruguay. But I honestly believe Uruguay is the coolest team you could support in this tournament. So if you are ready to jump on the Uruguay bandwagon, here are lyrics for three songs we use to support our team.

1.“Sooooooy celeste!”

The most famous song sung by Uruguayans. The most adequate translation into English would be “I’m team sky blue”. Make sure you stretch the pronunciation of the “ooooooooo” and sing with a deep voice. Repeat twice, and close with a “Celeste soooy yo” (”I am sky blue”). You now know the lyrics of our most traditional song.

2.“Volveremos, Volveremos”

This is a relatively new song that we started singing in 2010 when, after decades of absence, we made it to the World Cup semifinals. The lyrics of this song are pretty straightforward: “Volveremos, volveremos. Volveremos otra vez. Volveremos a ser campeones. Como la primera vez.” (“We will do it; we will do it. We will do it once again. We will once again be champions. Just like the first time we won.”) The song commemorates the first World Cup ever, which was hosted and won by Uruguay in 1930 under the leadership of the great captain Jose Nasazzi.

3.Cielo de un solo color (Single-color sky)

Throughout history, many Uruguayan singers and bands dedicated songs to La Celeste. Cielo de un solo color by NTVG, however, has connected with the fanbase in a way few other songs have. My favorite part of the song comes at the very end: “In the last sigh, oh Celeste give me a sun.” I love this part because it combines an element of our flag, the sun, with an element of our football history, always winning in dramatic ways. Next time you are watching a Uruguay game, pay attention to how the fans sing this song before the game starts.

Congratulations! You have completed the “Root for La Celeste 101” class. I hope this Friday, either in Russia, at a bar or on a couch at home, you are cheering for Uruguay. More than 3.5 million hearts will be cheering with you!

The author is an entrepreneur from Uruguay and the former head of the international department of the Foshan Bureau of Commerce.