World Cup Fever: Tan Ai-chen and Family Enjoy Matches, Grandson Dreams of Being Messi

Veteran artist Tan Ai-chen has revealed that she, her daughter, influencer Ouyang Jing, and grandson Xin Jiang are all captivated by the ongoing World Cup.

In previous years, Tan Ai-chen would set her alarm to wake up in the middle of the night to watch live matches. During the last World Cup, when Xin Jiang was just over a year old, she would watch silent live streams while he and his mother slept, refraining from cheering to avoid waking them.

For the current tournament, to maintain a more regular lifestyle, Tan Ai-chen opted to watch replays with Xin Jiang during the day. She mentioned that Xin Jiang has soccer classes at kindergarten. "This kid's ball skills are very poor, but his confidence is off the charts," she said. "He imagines himself as Argentina's Messi." After watching a replay of Argentina's match against Cape Verde at home, he went to the park to play soccer.

The article also briefly mentions a match result: Norwegian star striker Erling Haaland scored two goals in the second half of a World Cup Round of 16 match, bringing his tournament total to seven. Despite a late penalty by Brazil's Neymar, Norway eliminated the five-time champions Brazil 2-1, marking their first-ever advance to the quarterfinals.