Some fans will go the extra mile for their team but for one Brazilian couple they have driven tens of thousands of kilometres around the globe to cheer on Brazil at the World Cup.
Vanessa Zandona and Lihnio Bergamin have been driving a vintage 1946 Jeep around the world for two years and have arrived in Rostov-on-Don just in time to support Brazil in their opening match of the World Cup against Switzerland.
The couple's journey started in March 2016 when shortly after getting married they set on a three-year honeymoon in their jeep to see the world.
Bergamin and Zandona spent five years building the jeep together before the wedding and in the 27 months since they left their home in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, they have travelled to 43 countries, on four continents, clocking up more than 90,000 kilometres in their old car.
Good Morning from Russia!
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 16, 2018
Who's ready for Super Saturday? 🙋♂️🙋
*All kick-offs displayed in GMT+3 (Moscow time), #CRONGA is 21:00 local time pic.twitter.com/C6NIBWcQGl
"We got married and in the middle of the wedding party we got into the car, and we said 'Bye friends, bye my family, we will come back home in about three or four years because we are going to the world right now'," Zandona said.
"That was our honeymoon; a little long. If at the end of this journey we stay together, our marriage will last all our life, 24 hours every day and ever."
Plenty of upgrades were made to the vehicle before it hit the road. An engineer by occupation and traveller by vocation Bergamin planned every detail carefully. Under the hood one can find parts from more than 10 different manufacturers.
When not driving the travellers can cook, sleep and even take a shower in their home on wheels.
Brazil's reputation as being a football powerhouse has helped open many while on their travels, Zandona told Reuters. The first thing that usually comes to mind to many foreigners is the names of great football players of past and present and after this people cannot help but react positively to the travellers.
______________
Read more on World Cup:
World Cup 2018: Day 3 - France and Argentina kick off campaigns
After Ronaldo show, Messi to turn heat on Iceland at World Cup
Ronaldo's first cup hat-trick earns Portugal draw with Spain
______________
"Everybody likes it [the car]. I think our car helps a lot, because it is a special, old car. And because we are from Brazil," Zandona said. "I think that Brazil opens a lot of doors, because it is a country that does not have any border problems or wars and it has soccer, soccer. This opens a lot of doors.
"Many people in the street scream 'Brazil, Neymar, Pele!' That is fantastic."
Bergamin and Zandona plan to follow their national team across Russia. The next stop is in St Petersburg where Brazil face Costa Rica team on June 22 before taking on Serbia on June 27. The couple is sure that Brazil will advance all the way to the final and win the tournament.
Perhaps if that fairy tale does come true, Zandona and Bergamin will be able to drive off into the sunset after Neymar lifts the trophy on July 15 and continue their extended honeymoon.
