With it only occurring every four years, the World Cup has been a hot topic amongst the students and staff of HMHS. 

Mr. Karalexis, PE teacher and varsity soccer coach, is ecstatic to be watching the World Cup. He’s grown up playing soccer, and still plays in an over-30 league in his free time. He says, “It’s quality soccer first and foremost, best in the world, so anytime you bring the best skilled players to the world and then you have the passion of representing your country it’s just a really cool tournament.” This year, he is rooting for the USA, and believes that it would be “unbelievable to win it all.” Besides the USA, he usually roots for underdog teams, who have been causing many upsets among the better-known teams. A player that has been standing out to him recently has been Christian Pulisic, attacking midfielder for the U.S team.

Marco Santini, sophomore, has been following the World Cup due to his profound interest in soccer. He is involved with soccer, as he had played it the majority of his life and has been playing for HMHS for four years. Along with Mr. Karalexis, he is supporting the USA and believes they have a strong team this year. He has been shocked by the comebacks of underdog teams. He says, “Japan’s run in the World Cup has been amazing so far, they beat two great phenomenal teams. They are really a true underdog story.” 

Similar to Mr. K and Marco Santini, junior Sebastian Velarde is following the World Cup because of his background in soccer. Like many others around the world, he is rooting for Argentina, which is a prior winner of two World Cups. In coordination with his favorite team, his favorite player is Lionel Messi, forward and captain of the Argentinian team. When asked about him, Sebastian said, “What more needs to be said about him, he’s just the best. His style of play, amazing techniques, and admirable humility. He will always be someone I look up to.” 

Although many watch the World Cup to see marvelous stories of underdog teams rising up or to see their favorite players shine, some are in it just for entertainment like Micheal Adams, 8th grader. While he has no favorite player or team, he likes watching it with friends, which is the category many fall in this year. 

Whether you’re tuning in for the thrill of the event or watching your favorite teams advance, the World Cup is without a doubt one of the most popular and exciting events in the world. The finals commence on Sunday, December 18th, at 10 A.M. May the best team win!