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Football. Futbol. Voetbal. Futebol. Fußball. Fotboll. Calcio, Soccer. Whatever name you choose to call it, Soccer is truly a global game. The world’s most popular sport, played in every corner of our planet.
Why? One reason is that for the many hundreds of millions of people around the world, it is the ultimate cultural expression. “The Universal language that we speak with different accents,” Tim Vickery, a Rio-based soccer journalist stated. “A patriotic act, cheering on their team, because it is their country and their people being represented in the eyes of the rest of the world.”
“The World Cup is the biggest sports event in the world because soccer itself is the most popular sport in the world, and it’s the most popular sport in the world because it’s the simplest sport,” offered Paddy Agnew, a Rome-based soccer reporter for World Soccer magazine.
The simplicity to soccer is it’s greatest asset – it is more accessible than other sports to average fans.
Another reason why is: Soccer is the great economic equalizer, used by some of the sport’s all-time greats, including Pele and Diego Maradona, to escape abject poverty. Many consider It the language of the world, removing all obstacles and boundaries. And that is a very nice and good thing for our people on our planet.
“In today’s very fragmented media society, the World Cup is one of the last massive events where you know entire nations are watching at the same time.” Raphael Honigstein, a soccer journalist for The Guardian newspaper.
“The passion in each country for its team and what it means to all the people to see their team play at the World Cup, makes the World Cup unique and so special,” Former U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley.
ENGLAND may have been the nation that brought football (soccer) to the world, But the origins of football / soccer can be found in every corner of geography and history. The Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Ancient Greek, Persian, Viking, and many more played a ball game long before our era. The Chinese played “football” games date as far back as 3000 years ago. The Ancient Greeks and the Roman used football games to sharpen warriors for battle. In south and Central America a game called “Tlatchi” once flourished. But it was in England that soccer / football really begin to take shape. It all started in 1863 in England, when the first Football (Soccer) Association was founded.
So … for that one month, every four years, the world stops when the World Cup is on.
Today, 736 of the world’s best soccer players have descended upon the beautiful country of Brazil. Thirty-two nations are set to do battle for the 36 centimetre, 18 carat gold, Fifa World Cup Trophy, the biggest prize in international soccer.
This evening the 2014 World Cup is due to kick off as hosts Brazil take on Croatia.
For the passion, the hope and expectation produced by hundreds of millions of fans, for the athlete fervor and passion created by some of the best athletes in the world, I end with a few of Soccer’s most popular sayings –
“Blood,Sweat and Tears, go after your Goals!”
“Your a team above all, above all a team”
“Futball, the beautiful game”
“Teamwork makes the dream work!”
“Soccer, Live it and Love it!”
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Thanks for stopping by, have a great weekend ahead,
~ Penny
The Why About This 
My favorite part of soccer is my son re-enacting exaggerated injuries…
xo 🙂 🙂 xo
Saw this & thought you might enjoy the humor in it…
http://vivas.us/world-cup-2014-in-10-seconds-this-is-hilarious
xo 🙂 🙂 xo
Love it and them. Thanks for sharing this, RoSy! 🙂 xo
That’s gotta be fun to watch! 🙂 xo
AnElephant just receives some rather shocking news
Which cause his spirits to plummet like a balloon made of lead
He is now totally unexcited
It seems Scots are not invited
So he decides to ignore the whole thing stay home go to the beach and happily splash about in the Med
Sorry to hear that. But then Scots are better at so many other things, aren’t they? Splashing about the Med. yeah, that’s a very good thing! xo
This my favourite world cup post, all those names I know and the mention of world Soccer makes me happy. Will you be watching much of the action? I am aiming to watch all 64 games and try to get involved with every nation. It helps that I am a bit of an obsessive on the subject in all its forms…I think I left a magazine over there if you fancy a browse. xx
Hi, SteJ. Thank you. I do plan to watch as much as possible. I have a variety of world wide friends who are cheering for their home teams, so I’ll be there cheering for them as well. Good luck watching all 64 games. I’ll look for the magazine too. xx
I think C. has it with the rest of the magazines I have started to hoard already. I will apologise in advance for when either Greece or Switzerland play as they are not the most exciting advert for the sport but The Netherlands definitely are! The World Cup is as international as your house is becoming! xx
I am not into football… only when Germany gets to the final I might watch a bit…. 🙂
Hi Ute, well I’ll be sure and cheer for Germany too! And just so I get it in on the right day, a most excellent and wonderful Happy Birthday to you dearest friend. I hope it was just the best ever for you and that you had tons of fun with family and friends. Much love to you on this important day “your birth date”! Sending many Hugs your way. xxxxxxxx
Thank you so much my dear Penny, I had a lovely day with all my friends inside and outside the computer. Everyone made it very special for me. I have no family here but I got my phonecalls tooo which is lovely!
THis reminded me of an old Scottish song I heard many years ago – I had to go and look up the lyrics because I could only remember the first few words of the chorus. (I’ll tack the chorus on the end)
My daughter detests the football. I don’t like watching it much, there are plenty of other highly paid actors out there. I miss the days of Jimmy Greaves, Pele, Maradona (even after he cheated us out of the world cup by scoring with a handball – but that was the ref as well), Ray Clements, when the football players played for the sport and respected each other without hacking their legs. Mind you, saying that, there was a match over here a couple of months ago, and the ref gave a corner. One of the opposing team – the ones who got the corner – came over and said, “it came off of me, it’s their goal kick”. Which was complete sportsmanship. But that wasn’t the only moment in that game. The ref gave a penalty for a foul, and the fouled player ran up and said “I tripped over my own feet, he didn’t touch me”. That made me happy knowing that there are some players who are there for the game. Maybe by the end of the decade, sportsmanship will be back.
For he’s fitba crazy, he’s fitba mad,
The fitba it has robbed him o the little bit o sense he had,
It would take a dozen skivvies, his claes tae wash and scrub,
Since Jock became a member o that terrible fitba club.
Hi Alastair, well I find I cheer just as much for those cheering (fans) who get so much positive interaction out of the sport. And a most excellent poem, I love it,my friend! 🙂 xo
Watching the excitement on the faces of the fans is awesome 🙂
am sitting with friends nd watching brazil nd croatia right now.. one to one.. are you watching as well?
Yes I am. Pretty sure I know who you’re cheering for, Lisa! Actually I’m also pretty sure that Brazil will take the Cup, but you never know! Have fun with your friends! xx
of course we’re pulling for ecuador, but my friends and i think it’s time a country from the americas takes the prize.
it’s so great to hear, ‘goooooooooooooallllllllllllll!’ and then the rapid-fire spanish — that croatia goalie just missed stopping that third goal – he must feel pretty sick right now!
i’ve been in quito for a few days and will head home tomorrow.. will be back to an hour here and there for online access.
z
Yes I agree with you about the Croatia goalie. Well I shall root for Ecuador too then! Great hearing from you my friend, will check in with you soon, take care of you … How I’d love to travel down there for a visit! 🙂
it would be GREAT to show you this lovely country!
Sigh, on my wish list (towards the top), if a few things go well for me here …
History, power and absolute passion! that’s what soccer is 🙂
Wow, Andy, you just summed it up perfectly in 9 words – Awesome! 🙂
Thank you Penny 🙂 it’s a far more exciting sport 🙂