Sports

7 Reasons Why Soccer is the Most Popular Sport

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If you are reading this article, chances are you are among 4 billion soccer fans across the globe; they account for half the world’s population. Do you ever wonder how it came to be so prevalent? 

Soccer is such an intense game that supporters predict that you could have a heart attack from anxiety. If you are a wholehearted supporter, you probably have a global team that you support religiously. 

Apart from your home (country) team, there is the: English premier league, la life, and Bundesliga to watch. Also, the budgets of your favorite players seem to be somewhat of a dream.

From the above facts, you can imagine the investment that goes into these soccer clubs is insurmountable. Furthermore, there are close to 10 channels on your television dedicated to soccer analysis and End-of-season Predictions

The following are a few reasons why soccer is a global culture.

Affordability

You can get a soccer ball for approximately 10 dollars. If you cannot afford it, supplement it with anything around you from plastic bottles. You can also be like the children in third-world countries who go as far as to make the ball from plastic bags and ropes. 

If you browse through the internet, children are playing with improvised forms of soccer balls.

If you play soccer, you need less gear than any other sport. The only protective measure for soccer is shin guards, and they are for professional soccer players. 

As you do your daily practice, you will hardly need all this gear. Soccer skills hardly rely on the equipment because contact with other players is limited.

Genius Marketing Strategy

Your favorite soccer clubs partner with firms like Guinness to reach billions of people across the world. As a dedicated fan, a partnership between your favorite beer and sport is a work of art. 

These partnerships may become sponsorships for the soccer players. This partnership is why you will see a logo of a global brand on a Chelsea jersey.

This heavy investment in the game is why bars and restaurants regularly air soccer matches in their establishments. As if that was not enough, there are soccer-inspired video games that young adults associate with luxury. Besides, the internet reinforced this kind of attitude towards soccer.

The Level of Competitiveness

You must know that the allure of any game is the level of excitement it generates. Soccer has the most committed fans than any other sport on earth. These enthusiasts live for the sport and enjoy every analysis, even if the game is off-season.

You build up adrenaline because the players are playing against time, there is a certain level of aggressiveness, and the game intensifies as teams struggle to win. Contrary to popular belief, you do not love the sport because it is interesting; you love it because the competition creates a thrilling atmosphere.

The International Status

You know that most games are limited to particular regions. For example, cricket is in the UK and the commonwealth, and American football is for the United States of America. Since soccer spans seven continents, it naturally becomes the most renowned sport.

The World Cup, as you know, is a testament to the global status of soccer. It is played on different continents every four years, and the winners are known as “world champions.” Compared to other competitions like the NBA and World Series, you would never see the World Cup limited to a particular country or region.

FIFA boasts a membership of 211 member countries. This number indicates that most countries you know have an opportunity to compete in the World Cup regardless of their global politics. 

Moreover, as an international sport, soccer has the highest level of competitiveness. To become an acclaimed name, like Lionel Messi, you will have to master the game and practice daily.

Historical Significance

Soccer is the oldest game known to man. Several regions have testified that their ancestors played ball games as far back as 200 B.C. 

However, the first recorded football club was Sheffield F.C in 1857, England. The first official game was still in England in 1871. The first national competition was between England and Scotland in 1872, followed by a World Cup in 1930, Uruguay.

The historical connotation of soccer makes it somewhat of a spiritual game. Unlike other games that have a modern-day inventor, soccer holds the mysteries of the past. It is subconsciously a form of culture passed down from one generation to another.

Easy to Play

You must have found soccer to be such a simple sport to understand when you came across it. The challenge to breaking into other games is the fact that you get confused before you start playing. 

Some inventors assumed that a complicated game is a sign of ingenuity; that the more you struggle to grasp the basic concepts, the more you enjoy the game.

Ordinary people enjoy simplicity. You do not want to have a hobby that drains your brains with endless complications. Instead, you want to enjoy the adrenaline from anticipation and competition.

Understand that a game made for the tender mind is the most appealing. The purpose of a game is to bring excitement to an otherwise dull life. Endless sophistication in the rules of the game causes you to lose interest. 

Moreover, soccer is an outdoor sport; you do not need a court to enjoy it fully. Play it anywhere, and you will still have the prowess of international players. After all, most of them have confessed to playing in the mud or uneven fields.

Soccer is simple; you may know this by now. One game is 90 minutes between two teams of eleven each. You cannot use your hand, and if you shoot the ball past the opponent’s goalkeeper, you get one point. 

Ultimately, if your team has more scores, you win. Those rules are comprehensive enough for a three-year-old. Other complex concepts like red cards, penalties, offside and yellow cards are not essential for younger players.

Player-Oriented

Your favorite soccer players, like Cristiano Ronaldo, are very famous because the game allows creativity. The coach has a level of control over the players like in other sports; however, the players are free to use personal tactics to score a goal. 

For example, Ronaldo’s dribbling skills are legendary, and they earned him a title amongst the greatest footballers of contemporary society.

Sometimes, the striker carries the most heated competitions you have watched. The concept of the striker gives the game a little bit of structure. Nonetheless, the game does not restrict the role of scoring goals to the striker alone. Midfielders can get a chance to stand out if they have prowess.

This liberty in soccer is the reason the games are rarely biased. The game is a true reflection of global cooperation and merit-inspired benefits to players. Players from all over the globe enjoy the luxuries of world-class champions because of soccer.

You must have seen the extent to which soccer gets celebrated across the globe. This appreciation is not a coincidence; years of marketing and investment transformed soccer into a Multi-billion dollar industry. Renowned personalities invest in soccer regularly with the hopes of profit.

Soccer is not just a sport and culture in the modern age; it has become a source of employment for media personalities, analysts, and players globally. As you may know, the sport boasts half of the global population; 4 billion supporters watched the 2018 World Cup in Moscow, Russia.

Soccer is a manifestation of global cooperation in cultural appreciation. This sport is responsible for brands like Guinness, Nike, Adidas, Red Bull, and Samsung’s success.

 

 

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