Even though soccer is not the most popular sport in the United States there is no double it is the most popular sport in the world. The top leagues are in Europe and, arguably, the biggest sporting event the world over is the World Cup, which takes place every four years.
There are many reasons that soccer is the most popular sport in the world and keep reading to see what they are.
Passion
One of the major reasons why people are so passionate about the game is its simplicity. The rules are easy to understand, there is not much equipment needed, and anyone can play.
When there’s a soccer match, passionate fans will always find time to watch it anywhere – online, on their phones, on TV or by heading to stadiums or bars. .
Much like fans of other sports, soccer fans love to bet on the matches to get a little more excitement. There are many tipster websites for soccer helping people make good picks, like basketball ones that can help when it comes to making NBA picks.
Rivalry
There are no lack of major soccer rivalries around the world and some have histories over a century. These rivalries are always huge matches with rabid fans of each side and sometimes they turn ugly. Still, there is nothing like the buzz of a rivalry match whether it is at the club or international level.
Some of the biggest rivalries on the club level, nickname, and countries are:
When talking about international rivalries the top ones are Brazil vs, Argentina, France vs. Italy, Portugal vs. Spain, and USA vs. Mexico.
Relegation
One of the unique factors of soccer is relegation, which is opposite to promotion. In other words, a soccer team can be promoted or demoted according to its success during one season. The number of promoted and demoted teams varies from league to league. However, it means that the top teams from a lower league are promoted to the next league level while the bottom performing teams are relegated to a lower league.
For example, in the EPL (English Premier League) the three lowest teams are relegated to the English Football League Championship (second level). The top two teams in the Championship are promoted to the EPL with the third through sixth place team playing in a mini-tournament for the last spot.
Transfer Mania
While the transfer portal issue in college football and basketball is big news these days it is nothing like the soccer transfer windows. The major leagues around the world have transfer windows where players move from one team to another. The bigger transfers command huge sums of money. For example, in 2017 superstar Neymar transferred from Barcelona to Paris Saint Germain with the French club paying 222 million Euros for the Brazilian striker’s services.
The popularity of the MLS has grown with stars transfering from Europe at the end of their careers. A few examples of greats that came to the MLS include David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thierry Henry, and Wayne Rooney.
Soccer Nations
A 90-minute match is a mixture of excitement, and drama – whether your team is winning or losing. The most popular sport in the world is alive and well and it is gaining steam in the US. MLS continues to grow in popularity and competition, the US women’s national soccer team is the two-time defending World Cup champion, and the men’s team advanced to the knockout stage in the 2022 World Cup. Will America ever be a soccer nation? Time will tell.
