Research Paper about Soccer

Soccer has been around for over a century, and it is the most popular sport. Over 200  countries around the world play soccer! There are a lot of opinions on soccer, saying that it is boring, it isn’t physical, and more. Still, soccer is such an amazing sport with history, popularity, tournaments, and many famous players.

History

To begin, here is a bit of soccer history. Soccer was invented in the second century B.C. in China during the Han Dynasty, where an ancient form of soccer called Tsu Chu was played. Modern-day soccer was made in England in 1863. In the second century, B.C, the game consisted of kicking a leather ball filled with feathers and hair through an opening, measuring only 30-40 cm in width, into bamboo canes. There was no crossbar, players were allowed to catch the ball (they did not run with it or throw it), there was a strict offside rule, and players ahead of the kicker were in an offside position. Another version of soccer a long time ago was a team game involving a ball, which was made out of a rock, which occurred in old Mesoamerican cultures for over 3,000 years ago. It was made by the Aztecs called Tchatali, although various versions of the game were spread over large regions. On some ritual occasions, the ball would symbolize the sun and the captain of the losing team would be sacrificed to the gods. A unique feature of the Mesoamerican ball game versions was a bouncing ball made of rubber – no other early culture had access to rubber.

Popularity

Soccer has always been popular, with about 4 billion soccer fans worldwide, and 250 million players across 200 countries around the world. To put it into perspective, the next most popular sport in the world is cricket (about 2.5 billion fans). That is more than 1 billion more fans. One reason Soccer is so popular is because of the simplicity of the game. It is loved in every corner of the globe. Soccer came into existence in the second century BC, and since then it has had a global influence over sports lovers! In 1920 soccer became more popular among the people. Anyone and everyone can play soccer, as it is also the least expensive game. This game is also great for maintaining good health as it helps in the flexibility, endurance and cardiovascular health of the player. Did you know that according to FIFA, the 2018 World Cup final between France and Croatia reached an average live audience of 517 million viewers, with more than 1.1 billion people tuning in?

Tournaments

In soccer, there are many tournaments and each one is different, but the three I will be talking about are the world cup, Copa América, and the euro cup. The world cup is when the best 32 countries in the world play a tournament to see which country is the best at soccer. In 2018 the most recent world cup France won in a 4 - 2 win over Croatia. The next major soccer tournament I will be talking about is the euro cup. The euro cup is similar to the world cup, but they take only countries from Europe. This year, Italy won the euro cup in a 1-1 game, but Italy won the penalty shootout 3-2. The next major tournament is the Copa América. Copa América has 10, 12, or 16 teams in the tournament, but with only one winner. This year, Argentina won the euro cup in a 1 to 0 win over Brazil. There are many more tournaments like the Champions League, FA Cup and a lot more. I focused on the euro, Copa América, and the world cup because it includes more teams from other spots around the world. 

Best Players

There are many soccer players around the world and some are more skilled than others, but I will teach about 3 of the best soccer players right now (only players still playing). The best soccer players right now are Ronaldo, Messi, and Robert Lewandowski. The first player I will talk about is Ronaldo. Cristiano Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985, in Portugal. Some major awards Ronaldo has won are the Ballon d’Or 5 times, 5 UEFA Champions League titles (four with Real Madrid, one with Man Utd), and a Euro cup with Portugal. Another wonderful player is Lionel Messi. Lionel Messi was born on June 24, 1987. Some major tournaments Messi won are the 2021 Copa América and golden boot winner, 4 UEFA Champions League titles, and 7 Ballon d’Or. Finally, the last player I will talk about is Robert Lewandowski. Lewandowski is born on August 21, 1988. Some major awards Lewandowski won were the Champions League in 2020, a 6-time German super cup winner, and a 17x top scorer.

Most Successful Soccer Teams

There are many soccer teams, some are good and some are not, but I will inform you of 3 of the most successful soccer teams. Number three is Manchester United. Although Manchester United right now is pretty bad, in the past they were very dominant, always having amazing players and teamwork. Manchester United had the best soccer coach in history, Alex Ferguson (in my opinion). Some great players that played/plays for Manchester United are Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Ryan Gigs, Eric Cantona, Rio Ferdinand and so much more. Manchester Unites’ Red Kit is one of the most popular kits in the world and a Football fan’s favourite. A major award this team has won was the FA Premier League title 20 times. The second team I will be talking about is Barcelona. Barcelona has always been an amazing team and still is, a recent trophy Barcelona won was the Copa del Rey in the 2020/2021 season. Barcelona has won a record 75 trophies 26 La Liga titles, 31 Copa del Rey, thirteen Supercopa de España, three Copa Eva Duarte, and two Copa de la Liga titles. Some amazing players that played for Barcelona are Messi, Johan Cruyff, Ronaldinho, Andrés Iniesta, Maradona, Neymar, Deco, Eto’o, and a lot more great players. The last team I will talk about is Real Madrid. Real Madrid also known as the best team in history has a lot of trophies including a record of 33 La Liga titles, 19 Copa del Rey trophies, a sensational 13 European Cups/Champions Leagues, 2 UEFA Cups, and more. Some great players that played for Real Madrid are Ronaldo, David Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo Nazario, Iker Casillas, Zinedine Zidane, Ferenc Puskás, Alfredo Di Stefano, and more.

Without soccer in my life, I don’t know what to do because I love playing soccer with my team, and peers. As great sports like basketball, hockey, and football are, they don’t come close to soccer’s popularity, skill, and success. So the next time you play soccer, just remember that you are playing the best sport.