Soccer and the World Cup

Futbol and its Significant Presence in the World
by Neal R. Karski

Soccer, or better known internationally as futbol, is the most popular sport in the world. It is played on every continent and lures in millions and millions of viewers to its sporting events. In the European countries, soccer games are the most exciting and demanded happenings that bring together ecstatic fans looking for their team’s yet another victory. Soccer games intrigue masses who proudly wear the specific colors of their teams.

The sport itself is also a huge business that sparked the competition between sports apparel giants, Nike and Adidas, and established player sales worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Soccer is also a tradition in my nations and families around the world; from generation to generation the favorite colors and team apparel are passed down and the customs continue.

In the spirit of soccer, we now celebrate the games of the World Cup. Teams around the world represent their nations and their colors to bring pride and joy back to the homeland. Some succeed, others do not. In any case, the World Cup is the most watched sporting event, which on average is viewed by 1.5 billion people (or one may think… 25 percent of the entire planet).

In every country, fans and soccer enthusiasts gather in their homes, bars, FIFA towns and malls to take part in this special occurrence. Even with an immense amount of present rivalry, the World Cup brings people closer to enjoy the competition and excitement fueled by the international matches.

The FIFA World Cup is like an Olympics grand opening, or an NFL Super Bowl, just on a bigger scale, and worldwide national pride is exemplified by people of different origins. It shows diversity, and patriotism. It takes one back to the roots. It is the event coverage most talked about in the media. It is the Cup of Nations.

FIFA World Cup – The Global Showpiece
by George A. Miu

On any given day over the next month or so, various major cities around the world will be silenced as soccer fans exile themselves to homes and pubs, fervently following their national teams, cheering them on and partaking in the carnival-like atmosphere that seems to pervade the air.

My first coherent memory of watching TV does not revolve around cartoons or movies, but rather the World Cup that took place in the USA in 1994, where my native Romania reached the quarter-finals, beating Argentina (who were favorites to win the tournament) along the way. Even though I was only 5 years old at the time, my parents allowed me to stay up till the dawning hours in order to watch the games. But what made the occasion special was that this was the first time that I became aware of substantially deeper emotions, such as nationalistic pride and unwavering support of a team that transcends performance and results.

In reality, World Cups (which occur every four years) are treated much like once-in-a-generation spectacles; the games, results, scorers and opportunities are committed to memory, to be recounted time and time again in the ensuing years. This may sound like a textbook case of nostalgia, but it is in fact a matter of various individuals becoming united for a common cause in a way that is not highly prevalent in modern society.

Patriotism, all too often, is blighted by political tension and social disagreements. But in sporting events, these feelings are placed in the relatively simplistic context of a game whose rules and tendencies run unchanged through the decades. Players rise and fall, coaches are hired and fired, and the fans live and die by their teams, always with the implied understanding that the national team is greater than the sum of all of its components.

In this era of global media and larger-than-life stadia, there is more buzz than ever around every World Cup; as a result, soccer fever is rising to new heights and allowing people to be more versed in the background of each team and every player. Consequently, every individual automatically becomes more involved and the passion for the game is increased exponentially.

Since the World Cup has been underway for several days, I encourage veteran fans and casual soccer followers alike to join in the fun and find out just how deep of a bond a simple game of soccer can create between people.