The majority (81%) of people who describe themselves as interested in the FIFA World Cup say they have enjoyed the tournament, a poll has found.
The survey found that exactly half (50%) of British adults profess to be interested in the tournament, which ended with a Spanish victory against Holland at the weekend. Of these, a significant 31% say that they have enjoyed the World Cup ‘a great deal’, while a further 50% enjoyed it ‘a little’. Interestingly, younger people were more entertained than the older generation; 38% of interested 18-24 year olds compared to 27% of those aged 60 plus claim to have enjoyed the competition ‘a great deal’.
And the level of interest paid to the prestigious tournament has been charted on TellYouGov, with ‘The World Cup’ topic shooting to the top of the leaderboard, recording a massive volume peak of 399 over the weekend (up 230 in the 48 hours since the World Cup final on Sunday evening).
Many users, or ‘tyggers’, have been congratulating the winners, describing them as ‘the better team’ on the night. Others have also expressed how much they have enjoyed the tournament, saying that the ‘matches have been unpredictable and entertaining’.
However, it’s telling to note that of respondents surveyed, many (17%) of those interested in the World Cup also say they did not enjoy it. Again, a look at TellYouGov tygs highlights some of the reasons behind many people’s disappointment.
One expressed dismay at the ‘dismal performances by some “world class” teams’, while another particularly miffed fan called this year’s competition ‘a miserable tournament, lacking in excitement and the joy of the beautiful game.’ Others seem less than impressed with the final between the Netherlands and Spain, with one complaining of a ‘very poor game, with lots of cheating and players getting booked’. Another called it ‘boring’ and ‘not the final [I] was hoping for’.
So while most fans were happy with the South African showdown, it seems a significant section felt slightly less than impressed, and may have to wait until Brazil 2014 to see their love for football vindicated on the world stage.
Survey details and full results
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