Soccer in the United States is now becoming a popular sport, children who grew up playing the game now want to see professional soccer games as well. But the United States is joining the international craze known as soccer a little late. People have been playing soccer in South America for over a hundred years and in South America soccer is consider a national pastime. In fact, you could say that people in South America are obsessed with soccer.
Futbol, as the game of soccer is known in South America, is a game that everyone plays. Babies are given soccer balls to play with and adults flock to FIFA games like they were required work events, in Brazil people will watch every game either in person or on the television. During World Cup tournaments many businesses shut down because there workers are more interested in watching the games then they are going to work. Many ethic and national identities are constructed from a winning soccer club. And cross-country national titles are given during non-World Club years.
This game is a crucial aspect of the popular culture in South American countries. Soccer players are national treasures and considered pop culture royalty to many people in South America. Some fans take the game so seriously that they will shoot flares off during the game as an act of support for their team and there have been cases of riots when a home team looses. There have also been reports of loosing national teams being called to testify for their governments and provide details reasons for the loss.
Soccer was brought to South America by European settlers and explorers. Each county in South America has different starting period for when they actually started playing soccer but all countries have been documented to be playing the game since the late 1800s. In the beginning, most players were European settlers but by 1930 even native South Americans were playing Soccer.
Since 1930 there have been seventeen World Cup games and South American countries have racked up the most wins. However South America produces a large number of great soccer players and there has also been a mass exodus of these top players to Europe where a professional soccer player will earn more money. Even Pele, considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time, left Brazil after seventeen seasons for professional soccer playing for more money in the United States. Fans are anxious for South American futbol clubs to raise players salaries to keep the great players at home and attract players from Europe and The United States.
Soccer is known worldwide as The Beautiful Game and it is actually the only game that is played with the same rules in every country in the world. Over 200 countries are registered with FIFA and play soccer. Why soccer, well, even if a country is having a political issue with another country, in the game of soccer the rules are the same for everyone and soccer will continues on.