Imagine looking around and seeing a stadium full of thousands of screaming people, everyone chanting in unison. Team colors are sported by all fans, which turns entire sections of the stadium into rippling team flags. In some places crowds of people are pushing against barriers while lines of riot police wait outside. Could it be a football game? No? «Futbol?» Ah, it’s a soccer match.
It may not be possible to replicate the energy of a Brazilian or Argentine soccer stadium anywhere outside those countries but it is now possible to tune into the games via either cable or satellite television. As the most popular sport in the world picks up steam in the United States, more and more fans are opting to take advantage of new programming packages offered by television providers.
Soccer leagues abound throughout the world. Some of the best teams play in European leagues, able to attract great players by offering salaries that compare with Major League Baseball and National Football League paychecks. England has the Premiership; Italian stars play in the Serie A; Spain’s strongest teams form La Liga; and other leagues abound. Sports fans that pay attention to soccer know that these teams feature stars from Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, the Ukraine, Asia, and South America- all over the world.
In other countries throughout the world soccer is just as popular. Brazilian stars are famous for stories of them playing barefoot with makeshift balls as children. Part of the game’s appeal lies in its simplicity: all that’s needed is a ball. Any stretch of ground, even a street, can serve as a pitch. Anyone can get together to play a pick up game. On weekends, kids swarming around soccer balls fill fields in the United States; the same swarms of kids cover beaches in Morocco and parks in Uruguay.
International sports fans are also fascinated by the success stories and other dramas of soccer. Some kids are able to rise out of their impoverished backgrounds to become international superstars, with t-shirts and jerseys proudly displaying their name all over the world. Drama abounds on the field and off. On the field some players dive to fake fouls in ways that would make acting coaches proud. Other fans are interested in following the latest off-pitch exploits of Diego Maradona, whose «hand of God» play won the World Cup for Argentina before he became well-known for making political speeches and his stints in rehab. Soccer stars don’t seem exempt from the drama that celebrities around the world attract.
Of course, those Americans that tune in may not only want to watch the international matches. Major League Soccer in the United States is taking off as well, attracting international stars and gaining more fans. With good satellite or cable service it may even be possible to catch some games in high definition, with an incredibly sharp picture and crisp digital sound.
Despite what some who haven’t experienced the game may think, soccer is worth checking out for the excitement. After all, millions of fans around the world can’t be that wrong.