This might be the birthplace of the beautiful game, but it's probably no surprise to anyone that the World Cup is sacred to Brazilians.

So, with British passions running high as England gear up to take on Wales tonight, our reporter Juliana Cruz Lima explores how World Cup fever is going down in Kent compared to her home town, São Paulo.

What can probably be considered unexpected – at least to my work colleagues – is how seriously we take the beautiful game of football.

It's not just a case of it being once every four years, it's from the minute we're born and for many people the passion begins even before that...

Is football more than a sport to Brazilians?

Well, yes. But that is not figure of speech. This sport represents our essence, our culture, and this year specifically, way more than just cheering some players kick a ball around a pitch - but I'll get to that later.

Football is not all we think about, but is a great part of our life.

Even before we are born, you will most likely have your parents and uncles debating which team you will support, and getting more baby-sized football jerseys than diapers gifted to you on your baby shower.

I grew up in São Paulo, a state which is bigger than the entire UK and where football is part of the daily lives of more than 40 million people. From playing in school with your friends, to watching matches every Sunday with a cold beer and barbecue by the pool.

Every four years, we take this routine to the extreme. In my case, we would all leave school early (including school staff) to watch every single match at a friend's house or do a big family gathering - decorating the entire house with green and yellow flags.

Every cool kid also had the World Cup sticker album, and war would break loose in between lessons as everyone would fight for their lives trying to get the best stickers. All you had to do was cup your hands and hit them against the pile of stickers placed upside down on the floor. The ones you manage to flip are yours - probably at the cost of very painful palms at the end.

This year's edition in particular means a lot to our country. Yes, we want our sixth title – the Hexa – more than anything, but winning the tournament would bring a lot of unity in a country which is currently very much divided.

In Brazil, there are two things we avoid discussing: politics and football. Ironically, the two have never been more connected.

The past few months have been filled with political tension nationwide, as right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro was up against left-wing and former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil's presidential elections.

Arguments took over family gatherings and social outings, with relatives sometimes no longer speaking to one another due to their political choices. A few members of my own family included. (Brexit anyone?)

Wearing the iconic canary yellow shirt has also been deemed controversial back home, as it has been seen as a polarising political move, supporting president Jair Bolsonaro.

If our national squad – the Seleção – manages to go a long way during knock-out stage, we could hopefully leave all political tension behind and unite as a country to enjoy this tournament. It could be a good opportunity to bring our nation together again.

So how has it been watching an ocean away from home?

This is the first time I'm watching the World Cup away from home. I have to say, it is very weird.

The build-up to the tournament was not the same as, first of all, most people I spend time with now are not Brazilian.

I don't see my country's flags hanging on my neighbours' windows. I don't hear fireworks before a match, or funk music blasting off someone's speakers as they drive in a fully decorated car down my street.

Last week, I asked a couple of co-workers and friends how they were feeling ahead of their first match against Iran, and they seemed surprisingly casual about it.

We all watched England play Iran last week, and it was amazing to see how everyone was so calm about it. It was 6–2 to England, and yet the biggest celebration I heard was a very polite and controlled "get in" or "come on England".

Why weren't their hands freezing cold the whole day, breathing rapidly and getting chills just by imagining their national anthem (and the first rendition of God Save the King at a World Cup) being played? I guess they're not lunatics like we are.

Unlike my calm and collected Brit friends – and as a good devoted Catholic – I even made a promise to the saints.

I prayed to them to give Brazil the Hexa, if every match day, I wear my precious Brazil jersey signed by no other than our own His Majesty – Pelé (no, not Maradona).

So far, it seemed to work. Thanks to Richarlison's (who is weirdly nicknamed "the pigeon" by us) two beautiful goals in Brazil's 2-0 opening win against Serbia and yesterday night's textbook win over Switzerland.

'Anyone at the office would see me squishing a stress ball every couple of minutes, grasping onto my lucky shirt, and having my eyes fixated on the newsroom's TV'

Thankfully, both went well, but the build up to the matches was pure torture.

Anyone at the office on Thursday would see me squishing a stress ball every couple of minutes, grasping onto my lucky shirt, and having my eyes fixated on the newsroom's TV eagerly awaiting my team's turn to play.

To top it all off, we also have a double worry due to the 7-1 semi-final trauma against Germany in our own tournament in 2014 and it being 20 years since we last won the trophy.

And yes, I know football's been coming home since 1966, but perhaps the way everything feels ramped up, is so intense in Brazil and the pain of 2014, those 20 years feel more like the 56 years since Bobby Moore, Sir Geoff Hurst and Nobby dancing.

Although deep down I hope it's another four year in exchange for the answer to my prayers.

Then there's our historic rivalry against our hermanos (brothers) in Argentina – a division which runs far deeper than football.

We had to hope both Germany and Argentina teams didn't win or score much, and thankfully (so far), we seem in a better position than them.

If Brazil keep advancing, I'll be watching the next stages on the verge of needing life support or an ambulance on speed dial.

So my advice would be to stay calm and collected as you are, Brits, because your health is better off like that.

For virtually every Brazilian, like me, the World Cup is the most exciting time of the year apart from Carnaval.

You think it's tense in England, this is how the Brazilians do it and all I can say is: "Vamos Brasil!"