For most, the FIFA World Cup is a time of bar-going, drinking, and friendly international competition.

This week in Montreal, the World Cup is charged with a little extra excitement since the announcement that the tournament is heading to the city in 2026. 

ALSO READ: Here's How Much The 2026 FIFA World Cup Will Actually Cost Montreal

But for others, the competition is a period of intense rivalry and contempt. Nowehere in Montreal do these sentiments manifest more clearly than in Little Italy.

This year such tensions are higher than ever. For the first time in over fifty years, the Italian men's soccer team has not qualified for the World Cup. In November, the Italian team suffered a narrow defeat by Sweden for a spot in the highly anticipated global competition.

It was only a matter of time before Montreal's Little Italy channeled its disappointment into hilarious antics, and boy did the neighbourhood deliver!

The shady banner that appeared this week encourages every country "except Sweden" in the tournament that began on the 14th in Russia.

Posters of a similar design are also plastered around the neighbourhood.

As the 2018 World Cup continues to unfold, you can expect even more hilariously outrageous behaviour as one by one national teams continue to fall.

Stay tuned.