If a country needs to overly emphasise an ideal, that’s usually because that ideal doesn’t apply in that country (“Land of the free”, “Democratic people’s republic of …”).
If a person needs to subscribe to patriotism, it’s usually because they have never accomplished anything better in their life than being born in a specific place.
As a Moroccan, I can relate. We’re ranked as the most patriotic country in the world, but I honestly can’t see exactly why. Like, sure, we have cool cities and cool dishes, but we also have problems regarding the Healthcare and education sectors, tourist traps, immigration problems (both from outsiders living here and Moroccans living abroad), consistently terrible internet speeds, public sexual harassment on women, like how is this something to be proud of? And I haven’t even gotten into geopolitics, which is a whole can of worms that I’d rather keep unopened.
And you mean to tell me that WE are tasked with hosting the World Cup? That smells like a giant catastrophe waiting to happen.
It’s a very common thing really. The better a country works and the less the country has to compensate for, the less patriotism there is. And of course vice versa.
I thought it was just a coincidence.