A survey by McCann-Erickson WorldGroup says that support of the second team is often passionate.
It advises advertisers to be wary of the fact support now goes beyond national borders. "While patriotic messages from advertisers will clearly resonate with fans during the World Cup, marketers shouldn't overlook the cross-cultural aspects of the event," Allen Bukoff, global pulse coordinator at McCann-Erickson, said.
It has identified several factors that influence fans to support a second team. One of these is "the perennial appeal of the underdog", where small, poor nations become sentimental favourites, for example Cameroon.
The survey also found that the definition of "home team" broadens, as recent immigrants to a country will support both their newly adopted home and their "old country".
And, as proven by the England game against Argentina, the theory that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" exists, when it comes to grudges. Fans will often have a temporary "other" favourite team.
Some advertisers, such as Coca-Cola and Findus, have opted to take a pro-England stance in their advertising. Others, such as Adidas, focus on the game, with its "footballitis" campaign featuring players from England, Spain, Italy and France.
"The emotions of World Cup spectators are far more complex than the images of country-versus-country battles that often dominate the media. Marketers trying to reach World Cup audiences need to consider the proliferation of global media, the migration of fans and players, and strengthened regional affiliations when communicating with today's World Cup fan," Bukoff said.
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