9781422278314

How did the biggest sporting event in the world come to be so big over the past 88 years? First, let it be clear that we are referring to the FIFA World Cup here (FIFA is short for Fédération Internationale de Football Association). By every measure that matters, this global soccer tournament that takes place every four years is bigger than the Olympics, and far bigger than the Super Bowl. In America, the Super Bowl is still king, but when you consider its popularity across the whole planet, the Super Bowl is way down the list of top sporting spectacles, and is eclipsed by several soccer events, chief among them the World Cup. The World Cup is not the best soccer competition in the world. That distinction probably belongs to the UEFA Champions League. The Champions League takes place every year in Europe (UEFA stands for Union of European Football Associations) and is a competition between the top-performing soccer clubs in Europe’s best leagues. It plays out over a 10-month period, from July to the final match in May. The Champions League final regularly draws more than 350 million viewers— or about double what the Super Bowl typically draws—worldwide. As almost all of the best players in the world play in European leagues, the Champions League is regarded as a best-on-best competition. The assembled talent on the top European club teams is considered to be better than that on top international teams—even on the best teams like Germany and Brazil. The World Cup, however, is on a different level. About 190 million people watch each match, making every one of the matches like a Super Bowl. For the final, about one billion people tune in to watch, or nearly three times the Champions League audience. What the World Cup brings that is so captivating, that goes beyond the quality of the teams and the skill of the players and the passion for the sport, is that element of nationalism. Over the decades since 1930, the competition has catered to the national pride that participating nations feel, as well as to the pride all other nations aspire to feel one day when their team might qualify. In an increasingly global culture, soccer is a common thread, and hopeful Japanese viewers can relate to the expectant fervor of a Brazilian fan, as well as the pride of Bosnians watching their team compete for the first time. The World Cup is truly the world’s cup.

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