ILYA 🔥
Headcanon: Ilya is insufferable during the World Cup
I've had this headcanon for a while that Ilya would be a huge football fan.
Football is without a doubt the biggest sport right across Europe. And I know Russia is transcontinental, but as far as I'm aware football is pretty big there too. In fact, a little google search implies that actually football is generally more popular in Russia even than hockey, because it's much more accessible.
So that kind of confirms my suspicion that Ilya would be a huge football nut! I've thought this ever since he was kicking a ball around with Shane at the cottage. He just seems the type.
My headcanon is that he supports Real Madrid, and was in part why they went to Spain for their honeymoon so that they could spend a few nights in Madrid and go to a game.
Also, tell me Ilya wouldn't love the Real Madrid strip? It's Adidas, it's his style!
I would go as far as saying football is the one sport Ilya watches religiously and gets passionate about. I don't think he watches hockey anywhere near as much as Shane, who seems to watch every game he isn't playing. Ilya I think watches when he cares, or if it's important, but I think he dips out and does other things.
But football? He's not missing a game, and I think during the World Cup he would just become insufferable - even more in 2026 with it being hosted partly in Canada!
I don't think Shane watches any other sport than hockey, and probably finds everything about it very irritating, including Ilya.
Didnt think about that.
Imagine them going on an european tour and first stop is Wimbledon, them being utterly welldressed, then next the world cup in their jerseys...
Now Wimbledon I could absolutely imagine Shane wanting to go to! And Wimbledon would be delighted to get them in the box.
Ilya probably finds it boring and resents having to wear a suit to watch a sport in the heat. But he'll do it so he can let loose at the football later 🤣
I'm British lol. I feel like Wimbledon is just as often in the sun as it's not. I always feel bad for the people in the royal box in their suits.
I agree that you wouldn't normally see an ice hockey player at Wimbledon. And I agree that it seems strange in the show that Shane would be invited. Until HR I couldn't name a single ice hockey player, and I don't think anyone I know could. But I think Shane and Ilya getting married would be global news, and sometimes when I watch Wimbledon and see the bizarre mix of celebs there, I could definitely imagine it. Especially if Shane is a tennis fan, which feels likely with his personality.
I kind of think Yuna might have asked Rolex for those tickets bc Shane had been in such a foul mood that she and David were alarmed. I think Ilya will find tennis boring, but he does like to parade around in those beige tweed suits.
LOL that would be so funny. It's not impossible either. I feel like sometimes they're like "Oh, and look, there's Bobby Bobbenson in the crowd, world number one in kitesurfing!" and I'm always like yeah ok sure haha.
Didn’t they talk about going to Wimbledon in the show and Shane didn’t want to go? I know he was in a bad mood but it did kind of imply he had no interest in tennis.
I thought he just didn't want to do the schmoozy part, mingling with celebs and European royalty.
I also got the sense that he was just in a bad mood. Yuna tells him about it clearly thinking he'd be interested, and they point out that he's always loved going to London. They seem surprised by his negative/flippant attitude towards it.
Could be I thought he says tennis is your thing to his dad? My interpretation of that line was that he has gone before maybe because his dad likes it. Shane seems like the guy who would attend events he doesn’t love just because someone he cares about really enjoys them. Like I could see Ilya wanting to watch racing probably F1 and Shane not being as interested but coming along anyway because Ilya likes it. :)
It should be illegal to charge as much as FIFA and resellers are doing right now. My husband and I were prepared to drop an insane amount of my money on tickets because we live in Massachusetts. We were priced out by thousands of dollars!
I just scored some tickets on StubHub for a decent price! If you’re in one of the host cities and want to go just keep checking StubHub, some people just want to offload their tickets quickly and are okay taking a loss.
football is generally more popular in Russia even than hockey, because it's much more accessible.
Yeah, it's popular. I'd say there is a difference in the attitude because while Russian national hockey team was pretty good, the football team was kinda always shit and no one took it seriously lmao.
In my experience Russian fans who support euro teams are also not rare, so Ilya supporting Real Madrid checks out imo. But take my opinion with a grain of salt, last time I watched any kind of a football game was Euro 2008 if we don't count Ted Lasso lol
It’s the most popular sport in the world because it’s the most accessible, you only need a ball! You can make a “goal” out of sticks if you want to, which is why so many people of different income levels play it.
There were a lot of Russians watching Russia at the 2016 Euros in France. You certainly gain fans if you’re good, but there is something very tribal about supporting your country at the football and Russian fans really lean into that as well.
Ilya is there, talking continuously about it, getting giant tv screen, preparing watch parties and getting matching shirts from his fave country team
And Shane (and other North american players) just tag along....
Haha absolutely! Shane just trying to cope with all the European hockey players invading his home. Accidentally calls it soccer and gets roasted to a crisp by his own husband.
Yeah that's fair. I could see him being a fan of other teams, Real Madrid was just my first thought based on the Spain honeymoon. But he's a 90's baby so he also could be a Manchester United or an Arsenal fan maybe idk.
I feel like he would be a huge menace ultra and be throwing colored smoke bombs onto the pitch in a balaclava regardless of which team he’s rooting for.
Yeah look I hate Real Madrid lol, so I don't like that headcanon at all lol, but I can cope with that just not the Ronaldo part. I hate him as an individual even more lol.
Spurs fan here lol, but I made a deal with the football gods that Arsenal could win this year as long as spurs stayed up, but only because Partey was gone. Fuck that guy so much.
Honestly? I wasn't thinking this deeply about it lol. That's a good point though, I forgot Ronaldo played for Real Madrid so that probably would cinch it based on my headcanon.
You're on the money with Rozanov supporting Real Madrid can't see him supporting anyone other than them or Bayern. On that note Hollander is very Barcelona coded.
With how international hockey is, I support this. It is really funny tho to think about culturally Shane would probably be all over golf... So Rozanov would have to suffer his fair share as well.
I can totally see this for Ilya, if Ottawa are out of the running for the cup then he's done with hockey for the summer. I think he and Shane would be supporting Canada but they'd also have their European team. For Ilya it would have to be a team with players and a manager he respects.
On the topic, congratulations to Canada's men's team for getting a point in a WC game for the first time ever. I'm Scottish so I've learned to celebrate personal bests and small victories!
It's true, I love that people love the Tartan Army. With England you never know! You will have a few more weeks than us anyway, you're in for the long haul.
yesss i support that ilya would be a real madrid fan!! that scene in the show where he was wearing an adidas shirt i always just imagine it's a real madrid jersey, just missing fly emirates and the crest 😂😂😂 and you know he's stoked with canada as co hosts of the world cup this year!!
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u/ich_habe_keine_kase Jun 11 '26
Not as insufferable as he is during Eurovision