The World's Most Popular Sport: Soccer - Essay Example

?Soccer Soccer is the world's most popular sport, as it is played in more than two hundred countries worldwide. Part of soccer's appeal is that the game is relatively simple with very few rules, making it easy for an outsider to understand what is going on. Soccer can also be used to bring people together during times of war and conflict because there is one common goal, which is to have fun and enjoy the game. In this essay I will give a background of the history of soccer, talk about my favorite player Wayne Rooney, my favorite team Barcelona, and lastly the pinnacle of the sport, which is the FIFA World Cup. Not only is soccer one of the world's most popular sports, but it is also one of the oldest, with a deep and rich history dating back thousands of years. It is not known where soccer originated from, but there is evidence that a version of the sport was played during the Roman and Greek eras and also during the Han dynasty in China. Despite being played in various forms around the globe, it is the English who are credited with forming the modern version of what we call soccer. In the early 1800s soccer was played at many English universities and schools under what were known as the Cambridge Rules. It was not until 1863 when the Football Association of England was formed and agreed on a set of rules by which to play the game. Through colonization, the British were able to spread the game of soccer to every corner of the earth. In 1904, FIFA was established to control the game on a worldwide level, as by that stage the sport was popular throughout much of Europe and South America. Twenty-six years later the first FIFA World Cup was held in Uruguay. Since that time there has been a further 18 tournaments have been held, with the next one scheduled for 2014 in Brazil. In recent years the game of soccer has also caught onto a female audience. There are now many female soccer players who play professionally, particularly in the United States and England. Since 1991 there has been six FIFA Women's World Cups, with the next one to be held in Canada in 2015. Wayne Rooney is the soccer player that I most admire because of his skill on the pitch and style that he plays. He now plays for Manchester United in England, and he has played for more than 10 years with his national team. He is the most widely respected player on the England team, and all of his opponents recognize him as the danger man when they play against his team. Rooney first became famous back in 2002 when he was only 16 years old. In a match for his boyhood team Everton, he scored a late winner against a star studded Arsenal team. Since that time Rooney has been treated like a superstar by the media and fans. I must say that I am in awe of his ability to play soccer because he always plays with a determination on his face that I can only admire. However, Rooney is also a controversial player too because some people don't like his fierce personality. I must admit that there are times when he frustrates fans, such as when he tried to engineer a move away from Manchester United. What I do know is that he will very soon become the record goal scorer for both Manchester United and England, and if he achieves those feats then he will go down as one of the best British soccer players ever to have played the game. Although I do like Wayne Rooney as a soccer player, my favorite team would have to be Barcelona. The reason is that they play in a style that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye and it almost seems effortless when they play. Over the past few years they have dominated European soccer, winning many league titles in Spain and also the Champions League in Europe a couple of times. This is in large part thanks to the genius that is Lionel Messi. He is widely recognized as the best soccer player on the planet, and it is hard to argue against this because he has been the FIFA World Player of the Year four years running. Apart from Messi there are many other great players on the Barcelona team, such as Xavi, Iniesta, and Neymar. The thing that I really admire about this team is that they promote teamwork above all else and they show a togetherness on the field of play. For international soccer, the ultimate goal is the FIFA World Cup. It is the second most watched sporting event in the world behind the Olympic Games. For the last few tournaments, 32 teams have played in each World Cup. For the last World Cup in 2010, the host was South Africa. This was the first time that the FIFA World Cup had been hosted by the African continent. The 2010 World Cup was considered a wide success, and Spain managed to become champions for the first time in history. After the next World Cup, which will be held in Brazil, the tournament will be held in new regions, such as Russia and Qatar. The expansion and diversity of the FIFA World Cup proves that soccer is truly the world's game because there are always many fans no matter where it is held. In my opinion soccer is the most enjoyable sport because it has ancient traditions and it is also very easy to play. Not many sports can be universally understood, but soccer is one of the few that has the potential to bring people together rather than causing conflicts between them. In this essay I have discussed the history of soccer, my favorite player (Wayne Rooney) and team (Barcelona), and also the FIFA World Cup. If you have gained even a little knowledge about soccer then I hope that you would take more of an interest in the game and get involved at a community level to promote the sport. Read More