How should a new football fan should answer when asked "Who are you supporting?"

Not the best way to show you are a football fan

With the world’s eyes on the World Cup, the obvious question around is “Whom do you support?” regardless of whether you’re a football fan or not. However easy that may sound to answer, hold your horses. If you don’t really follow football but want to be involved in all the late night parties and sleepovers, think for a moment or two. The answer to that question decides the next 30 days of your life..These are a few tips on how to respond:

1. Never say “May the best team win”. Honesty isn’t appreciated here.
2. Don’t choose a team that has a high chance of going out at the beginning itself. Because once your team is knocked out, the invitations to the late night games at your friend’s place will stop.
3. Never pick too many teams and say “I want any of them to win”. Because, let’s face it, that’s just a political reply and is never appreciated.
4. You could be bold and say “I want X to win”. What this will do is it will make you a hit amongst friends who support X. However if that team is knocked out, you can’t back another team fully. In short, you’ll have to see the rest of the World Cup in a very calm manner to avoid losing the respect of other fans watching with you.
5. Don’t say “Spain” just because they won the last World Cup. If asked a few questions about the Reds that you’re unable to answer, you would be termed a gloryhunter. No one likes being called that, right?
6. Never say “I want X to win because player Y is there”. At the World Cup, individual players don’t win the tournament, team effort does. You would be segregated as a football newbie.
7. You could say Netherlands, because right now everyone sympathises with them for their 2010 final loss. England is also a good option, because currently 99% of the world is backing them, mostly out of pity, because of their struggle to perform on the big stage. Germany is also an accepted answer, as they always narrowly miss out towards the end of the World cups.
8. Unless you really appreciate their play, avoid saying Portugal and Argentina. Because even people who don’t know the F of football, apparently love Messi and Ronaldo, so you might be pointed out as one of those wannabe fans.
9. Never say you support two teams equally, because that never happens. You could pick a second favourite, but you have to prioritise them. However, even after all this, there is a chance of all this effort going in vain. The question comes up of how to respond to that question once your team gets knocked out. 1. Never whole heartedly support another team after that. Just say “I think X deserves to win it now”, rather than “I always wanted X to win it”. 2. Say “I wanted X to win it but now that they’re knocked out, I want Y.” By bringing up the name of the team that’s knocked out, it shows you’re a genuine fan and don’t change colours as the tournament progresses. If you’ve followed all of the above, congrats, you’re a hit with your friends.