Is the FIFA World Cup really about Soccer/Football? Or is it about national pride?

I am not a soccer fan in the least, but with all the hype surrounding the World Cup, I have found myself watching bits of games here and there, though invariably after a few minutes I get bored and switch channels. Of course, I am not a soccer fan, however, people who are have been saying that this World Cup thus far has been fairly lackluster, and yet, they keep watching it!

So, as a hockey fan, I have drawn the conclusion that, like Hockey, at the international level, Soccer is more about national pride then the game itself. While at the club level, Hockey is bigger than god in Canada, and even if your team is out, you will watch it to the very end, however at the international level, once your team is out, you stop watching. This happened recently, Canada of course won the gold medal at the winter olympics recently, but after that there was the IIHF World Championship, Canada finished a disappointing 7th after a loss to Russia (of course they say that it was because 90% of Canada's Olympic team was not there, but excuses are just excuses), and then Canada stopped watching and went back to NHL (club hockey).

So my question is this, would you as Soccer fans agree with the statement that Soccer/Football at the club level is far more fun to watch in terms of skill and level of game play then at the international level, and that really, at the international level, it's about national pride, not the quality of the game?

Thanks in advance! :D