Football, association football, soccer, or whatever you call it, is popularly referred to as joga bonita, or “the beautiful game” in English. This global phenomenon attracts millions upon millions of football fans and fanatics; placing the crème de la crème of millionaire footballers on a pedestal comparable to famous rock and movie stars and has the ability to shake and move entire economies.

Any sport plays a very important role for human civilisation and football is the simplest of all sports – it is the common man’s game. Thought to originate in China around 2BC, it has clearly evolved but the basic rules and minimal equipment requirements are why it’s so popular. All you need is a ball to kick around – cloth tied into a rounded shape, rounded fruits, animal bladders or the real thing made of leather or plastic. The power of football is such that any stranger can be acquainted with its rules very easily. All these are factors that push it to become the most popular sport in the world so far.

FIFA – football’s world governing body – has 208 member countries and the game has a highly fanatical following in 80 of those countries and is amongst the top three sports in all the other member nations. It is played and followed by millions from the USA to England, Africa to South America, throughout Asia and Europe. India, a predominantly cricketing nation, has more football fans than England or France. Surprisingly enough, the combined population of football-crazed states in India like West Bengal, Kerela, Goa and the North East exceeds an astonishing 100 million.

The first international match was played between England and Scotland in 1872 and since then there has been no looking back. The FIFA World Cup is the largest sporting event in the world, played between 32 countries after qualifying stages involving more than 200 countries. It brings entire nations to a standstill, especially in Europe, South America and Africa.

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