For hundreds of years, the great sport of soccer has been actively played all throughout the world both competitively and recreationally. Of the several international soccer tournaments and competitions present in society, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup is the most prestigious with millions of attendees traveling from around the world to support their home nation in soccer.
This coming June, we’ll be able to experience the emotions and intensity brought forth from this event, as the World Cup is coming back after it’s last showing, four years ago in Rio, Brazil. Although there are events such as the Olympic Games, The Super Bowl, and the World Series, the World Cup outplays all of them.
Because of the major diversity present at the games, and the positive atmosphere flowing through the air at the World Cup, it is clearly the greatest sporting event present in our modern day lives.
The intensity and passion of the fans who attend the games is astonishing and shows the true support towards their respective nations in the tournament.
Supporters travel from around the world and spend tens of thousands of dollars just to support their teams and show their love for the sport. Fans will dress up in the most ridiculous and extravagant outfits in order to showcase their culture and to show their immense support for their teams.
As a bystander present at the World Cup, you’d be able to truly witness the pride held by citizens for their respective nations, as viewers proudly hold up flags and signs to encourage and support the players down on the pitch. Supporters present at the stadiums may also get very aggressive and rigorous, as pushing, shoving, screaming and chanting are all things you can expect at the FIFA World Cup.
Back in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, a stampede before kick-off injured 14 fans who were rushing to get into the stadium. Supporters are so eager to see their favorite players and teams perform in the competition that they are willing to put their own safety on the line for the event.
Although there are other sporting competitions which are specifically for soccer, the World Cup only comes around every 4 years and may include all nations throughout the world rather than just specific regions. Other popular soccer related tournaments such as the UEFA European Championship, The Copa America and The African Cup Of Nations, deal with just specific global areas and regions, while the World Cup will handle teams from all across the globe.
Soccer is a very aggressive and passionate sport. You will constantly see players diving around and throwing their bodies at the opponents in hopes of winning the ball and potentially scoring a goal. Players put their bodies on the line to ensure success for the team and may risk severe injuries in order to show their passion and true desire to win the high stakes match. This aggressive play energizes the fans and creates true excitement from around the stadium as there is controversy and intensity present on the pitch.
The World Cup is the crown jewel of sporting events, so it is not surprising that individuals from around the world show more interest and excitement to it over other sporting competitions.
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, so it is not surprising that individuals value this sporting event over other worldwide events. Unlike other sports, soccer is played actively in over 200 countries and is prevalent in six out of the seven continents around the world, while other sports are merely played in certain regions around the world.
The World Cup has been known to generate more viewership rates than any other sporting event or televised series. During the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, more than one billion fans tuned in to watch the final of Argentina vs Germany, as the competition reached a global-in-home television audience of over 3.2 billion people.
As well, FIFA released that an estimated 279 million people across the globe watched matches online or an electronic mobile device. This allows us to see that our modern society is adapting to technological advancements in order to view their beloved teams play in the great sport of soccer. The 2014 World Cup broke several TV audience records in key international places such as Germany and the United States. These rates of viewership allow us to clearly understand the true value and importance people hold for this prestigious competition, and how individuals may sacrifice tens of hours of their lives in order to view this incredible sporting event and to support their respective nations.
This summer The FIFA World Cup is taking place in Moscow, Russia. It’s already been four years since the previous World Cup, so we’ll truly be able to see the change in attitude and skill within the participating teams. Nations will be coming ready to play and will be prepared to do whatever it takes to win it all, as they’ll do whatever it takes to make a name for themselves.
By Diego Maldonado
