MOSCOW — Forget goals, scores or who actually gets the ball in the net.
Russia is on a winning streak at the World Cup, and it has little to do with its team on the field. Since the tournament kicked off nearly two weeks ago, chants for one country have dominated the stadiums, rising above the din of supporters from around the globe: “Ros-si-ya!”
Even when the host nation is not playing, those three syllables are noisily spouted morning and night by energetic fans of all ages.
In Russia, patriotism has reached fever pitch.
“Our team is like children. It doesn't matter if they do well or not, we still love them,” said singer-songwriter Dmitry Dunayev, who was performing just off Red Square on Monday. Clad in Russia's red soccer jersey, Dunayev belted out his latest song, an ode produced by members of government for the national team, moments before the final whistle in Russia's 3-0 loss to Uruguay.
Despite that setback, Russia is through to the next stage for the first time in history. The last time anything similar happened was in 1986, when the much-larger Soviet Union, which included Russia, sailed through. Russia's first two wins, against Saudi Arabia and Egypt, seemed to genuinely shock the nation: Downtown Moscow reverberated with all-night street parties.
The triumphant, and often inebriated, mood feels a lot like May 9, a national holiday marking the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany and one of the most important dates in the Russian calendar. Now, as then, there is a lot of love on display for Mother Russia.
As lessons in rousing patriotism go, the timing of the World Cup could not be better. Ties with the West are at their chilliest since the days of the Cold War, with U.S.-led sanctions pushing Russia deeper into global isolation. The country, at loggerheads with the West over allegations of election interference and the crises in Ukraine and Syria, accuses the United States and Europe of Russophobia.
But hosting the world's largest sporting event appears to have renewed Russians' sense that the pursuit of hegemony is justified. “We hope that everyone who visits Russia will envy us by the time they leave,” said Zemfira Tsakhilova, head of the children's dance center Katyusha, which is named for a popular World War II folk song.
With a small Russian flag in each hand, Tsakhilova directed boys and girls in brightly colored national costumes as they twirled and hopped a stone's throw from the Kremlin. At one point, about a dozen children unfurled a large Russian flag.
“Ros-si-ya!” they cheered in unison, their beaded headdresses twinkling under the late afternoon sun.
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