Ten years ago I could care less about soccer — I didn’t feel it lived up to what other sports had that made them superior athletic competitions. I thought soccer wasn’t as tough or exciting as football or hockey. Soccer didn’t require the same overall athleticism which made up the physical ballet that was basketball. The strategy on the pitch paled in comparison to mental game of chess that was played out on a baseball diamond. All of these assumptions were naïve, as soccer has all of those elements and more — but what made me first give the game a chance was when I realized that it had something no other sport in the world has…
Soccer is the only sport actually played all over the world — so “world champion” is a legitimate title, and crowning a true world champion brings a holistic level of value to the World Cup — and to the sport of soccer, itself — that is unparalleled to anything that the NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL can produce. The players who will take the pitch this summer in Brazil are the best of the best — hand picked from countless hours of evaluation both on the training ground and in matches during the four years in between each World Cup — and they come from all over the world. Yes, all over. Sure, the elite leagues of other sports attract players from many countries, but their respective sports are mostly played in particular regions — like baseball in Asia and hockey in Northern Europe — and in many cases not played elsewhere at all (you’ll be hard-pressed to find a baseball field in England). Soccer, however, is widely played everywhere — both recreationally and professionally.
Recreationally, not every one has had the chance to shoot a basketball on a hoop, take a swing of a baseball bat, or lace up a pair of ice skates, but every person in the world has had an opportunity to kick a ball. The beautiful simplicity of soccer makes it accessible to all, no matter your geographic or socio-economic standing. All you need is a ball. Professionally, every country in the world has organized soccer leagues (most of which are governed internationally by FIFA). The same can’t be said for any other sport; thus, the World Cup is unique in that it consists of the entire globe’s participation. While only 32 nations may be represented in the actual tournament, qualifying for it is played out during the three years prior over the course of an exhausting 820 matches involving a whopping 207 nations. So the team that raises the World Cup trophy after that final whistle in July will be made up of the best combination of soccer players from every country — and every person — on the face of the Earth. A true world champion.
When you are watching the World Cup this year, keep in mind that you are watching a competition that is unlike anything else in the world. While other sports are a privilege — requiring excessive equipment, money, or location to make playing possible — soccer is our birthright, available to all, with the World Cup being the pinnacle of that heritage. It’s a competition that everyone on the planet has the opportunity placed at their feet (literally) to participate in if they work hard enough and become one of the best. So adorn yourself in your country’s colors and take pride — not only in your nation, but in humanity — as you watch this year’s World Cup, because there is something about seeing our fellow man succeed at the ultimate level that brings joy to our hearts — and that joy will act as a seed that will grow you in to a full-fledged fan of the Beautiful Game.
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