Chinese fans pack Beijing bars to watch World Cup games

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Europe

01:44

Although the Chinese national team is absent from this year's World Cup, Beijing football fans still gathered in bars around the city on Thursday, keeping a keen eye on the curtain-raising match between Russia and Saudi Arabia.

By midnight, the city's watering holes were packed as the clock ticked toward the first match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Although host team Russia was slightly favored before kickoff, nobody seemed to expect the 5-0 drubbing they would slap on Saudi Arabia.

The victory on Thursday emboldened views that Russia, as the host country of the tournament, will have better chances of winning with a clear home advantage.

June 14, 2018: Chinese fans watch the World Cup opening match. /VCG photo

China's national squad has not qualified for the showpiece in 16 years, so fans in the country are used to celebrating football's biggest event, even without a home side to follow. For them, it is always a good atmosphere to be drinking in bars with barbecue while enjoying the tournament which takes place every four years.

At a Cantonese restaurant, supporters were discussing their picks of which team will be lifting the trophy, with some familiar names being dropped. A big fan of Neymar supported Brazil, while a young man who studied in Germany as an exchange student firmly stood by the reigning tournament champions.

Of course the opening contest is just the start, and as the beautiful game's top tournament shows off glamor and grit over the next month, the biggest winners will include the spectators, both in the host country, and around the globe.