**PLEASE NOTE:** As the data were collected in Germany and analysed by German-speaking researchers, some of the variable names are in German. To enable non-German speakers to better understand the data and our analysis code we describe and explain key variables with German names below:
**(1) AFFECT:**
*"FB_Angenehm"* captures the valence component of core affect, while *"FB_Erregung"* captures the arousal component of affect.
**(2) FAN IDENTITY:**
*"Unterstützung"* reflects the self-reported intensity of support for the national soccer team.
*"Identität"* reflects the degree to which participants identified with the country they supported during the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
*"MEAN_Identität_Unterstützung"* captures a superordinate measure of individual fandom, based on the two other variables.
**(3) TIME OF ASSESSMENT:**
With respect to the timing of the assessment, *"timepoint_game == 'vor dem Spiel'"* refers to the measurement of affect before kick-off.
Meanwhile, *"timepoint_game == 'Halbzeit'"* refers to the measurement of affect at halftime.
Lastly, *"timepoint_game == 'nach dem Spiel'"* refers to the measurement of affect after the end of the respective match.
**(4) WATCHED IN COMPANY VS. ALONE:**
The variable *"FB_Gesellschaft_ALL"* indicates whether spectators watched the match in company or alone.
