World Cup Euphoria: Football, the Magician of Human Emotions
Author: Wari
Indramayu, July 17, 2026
Every four years, the earth seems to stop spinning.
Not because of a disaster. But because of the rolling of a ball.
That’s the World Cup.
More than just a tournament. The World Cup is the greatest festival of emotions on the planet. In 90 minutes, millions of people can laugh together, cry together, get angry together, and then hug strangers.
Football truly has “magical powers.”
1. Happiness: When One Goal Changes Everything
Remember the moment of the goal in the 90+3 minute.
The stadium exploded. Coffee shops from Indramayu to Jakarta overflowed. People who had been sitting stiffly jumped up and hugged everyone next to them.
That goal wasn’t just a number on the scoreboard. It was a release.
The overtime workers watching secretly, the schoolchildren skipping school, the fathers betting on fried meatballs… all were happy in the same second.
Football unites happiness regardless of ID card, religion, or bank account.
2. Disappointment: The Pain Is More Real Than a Breakup
A penalty kick goes wide. The referee gives a red card. The favorite team is eliminated in the group stage.
It feels heartbreaking. Scrolling through social media is filled with memes of defeat. Family WhatsApp groups become a forum for blaming each other.
“I should have passed the ball to A!”
“The coach is an idiot!”
Disappointment in the World Cup is genuine. Because we’ve given hope, prayed, and even stayed up late. But it’s precisely from this disappointment that we learn: that in life, not all efforts bear fruit.
3. Sadness: Tears on the Green Field
There are tears of emotion when their team’s flag flies. There are tears of sadness when the team captain retires while carrying the trophy. There are the heartbreaking tears of supporters whose team lost badly.
Football allows men to cry in public and still be considered cool.
It reminds us that losing is human. That struggle, even when the result is zero, is still worthy of applause.
4. Happiness: A Worldwide People’s Feast
Look at the streets. National flags are hung on every pole. Jerseys are sold in the markets. Children play soccer wearing Argentina, Brazil, and Japan national team shirts.
The World Cup makes us happy for no reason. Happy because we can stay up late with friends. Happy because we can debate football until 2 a.m.. Happy because for a month, we put politics and our life’s problems aside.
Conclusion: The Magic Called “Us”
So what is the true magic of football?
It’s not the goals. It’s not the trophies.
It’s because football teaches us to feel together.
In an increasingly individualistic world, the World Cup forces us to sit on the same bench, with the same emotions.
It makes people who were once enemies become teammates when their national teams play.
It makes people who were once strangers become brothers when they celebrate a goal.
Perhaps that’s its magic.
The World Cup reminds us: this is what being human is like. Sometimes happy, sometimes disappointed, sometimes sad, but ultimately… happy because we can still experience it together.
“Football isn’t about life and death. It’s much more important than that.” Bill Shankly.**
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