JTA — At a large outdoor screening in a central square in Jaffa, dozens of children lounged on beanbags, many wearing Cristiano Ronaldo’s No. 7 Portugal jersey. They bounced in their seats and lobbed popcorn at one another, the late hour and free Coca-Cola adding to the delirium after the 41-year-old striker scored his second goal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, leading Portugal to a 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan.

The screening, organized by the Tel Aviv municipality, is one of many being held across the country as Israelis, without a team of their own in the soccer tournament for more than half a century, adopt other nations for the duration of the World Cup. Their choices have always reflected family roots, favorite players and soccer tradition, but this year they are also being influenced by war, diplomatic loyalties and anger toward countries seen as hostile to Israel.

The interest is widespread. A Walla poll released just before the start of the World Cup found that 61% of Israelis planned to follow the tournament at some level, while 34% of men said they would watch every game, compared with 8% of women.

Lea, whose younger son had fallen asleep against her while her older son sat with the other children in front of the 20-foot screen, said she wasn’t worried about the late hour on a school night. “It’s a big deal and it’s only once every four years,” she said. “Let them have fun.”

Though she did not closely follow soccer or support a particular team, Lea said she was generally drawn to the South American teams. “It’s more of a show, more over the top,” she said, contrasting them with European teams and citing Germany as an example of a side she considered “overly organized and strategic.” (Indeed, underdog Paraguay ousted the German side on Monday.)

At a separate screening the night before, this one in a Tel Aviv park for Argentina’s match against Austria, Adi Keller, wearing an Argentina jersey, described herself as a “promiscuous” World Cup fan. She said she felt free to move between teams because, with Israel absent, “I have no personal connection to any of them.”

England appeals to her because, she said, it has “the best fans,” and because its supporters have waited since 1966 for another World Cup title. Argentina, though, was her choice that night, largely because of superstar Lionel Messi, and what Keller called the “folklore” of a tournament that could mark the last World Cup for........

© The Times of Israel