I was a football atheist until the Women’s World Cup arrived. How do I pick a team, or can I cheer for everyone?

‘In a partisan age, it’s comforting to think that something as simple as football match can help a country or a community transcend its differences.’ Photograph: Future Publishing/Getty Images

I have long envied people with a football team. I don’t mean people who actually play football (that looks exhausting), but people committed to chasing the fortunes of a particular team. I crave that kind of religious fervour, while remaining a staunch sports atheist. Indeed, I somehow lived in Melbourne for the best part of 20 years without ever producing a good answer to that holiest of questions: “So, which team do you support?”

The arrival of the Fifa Women’s World Cup in Australia has made that question more urgent. More specifically, being the parent of two young, football-curious girls has made that question urgent. The rise of women’s football has been an inspiration to them.