The sport of football, or soccer for Americans, has been around for longer than we can truly track. It has its origins in the ancient history and cultures of the world from Asia to South America and has captivated audiences and players since its early versions were first played. The sport has since grown in popularity to the point where it is now the dominant sport in the world. With the most players of any recreational, competitive, and professional sporting event, football has truly taken over the world.
The most interesting information about football is how much it has changed. Today’s game is barely recognizable from the game even just 20-30 years ago. Football has evolved so much over the years that it has been hard to tell just how different the modern game is, but it still remains the same at its core. Football, and sports in general, seem to be one of the few areas of society that are always looked at for examples of how change can be a good thing, and these are some of the evolutions football has gone through over the years and why they are so important.
Cultural Importance
Football originally began in South America and Asia, and it is disputed which one came first. In any case, the cultural importance and significance of the sport have its roots in ancient history. Originally, football was still used as a form of entertainment, but it also has roots in combat and warfare. The ancient South American people, the Mayans, and then the Aztecs, played a game where the teams would try to kick a ball through a hoop on walls and was one of the first versions of football that existed. It is loosely related to the modern ball and net version, but the Chinese also claim to have invented an early version. Their version sometimes involved the use of severed heads which is considerably more brutal but also considerably closer to real soccer. The cultural importance of football has its roots in more than just entertainment and it shows now as football culture is about family, brotherhood, national pride, and a way for people to dream bigger than themselves.
Superstars
Superstar players have been around for as long as we know for nearly every sport. The old stars of the loosely related origins of football had a similar status to how superstars of the sport are today. They were revered by the people of their society because they are seen as superhero status. Able to do physical acts that normal people could only dream about. The idea of superstars has only grown since then though.
Even up until the eras of Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, superstars were not as world wide known but those 4 players (among many of that time) started to transcend how important players were becoming. Now, we see stars everywhere who are among the world’s most well-known names. Even for people who do not watch football, the names Ronaldo and Messi go beyond just the sport of football. They are becoming household names and brands for themselves due to their celebrity status. Where before they were recognizable for World Cup appearances or within the world of football, they are now megastars of their own class.
Internet and Football
The increasing access to the internet has allowed more and more fans to join in on the game. Those we were interested in but only had a limited amount of exposure to it, those who knew little about it, and those we just needed more and more information, videos, and news. Football is the most popular sport in the world, with a fan base of over 3 billion people, it is incredible how many people were unable to partake in a lot of football because they could not watch live scores or games and other information. The live scores and news at Ronaldo.com show how useful it is to give fans what they need, and the internet is to thank. Internet access is changing the game and introducing so many people to the game. Who knows when the next superstar is going to arrive because he or she had access to videos of players and became inspired. The future is bright for football and the internet has made a lot of this possible.
Video Games
The FIFA franchise is not new. It has been around for a little over two decades, which makes it one of the more continuously running sports game franchises in video game history. These games have evolved as much as the game has too. They allow people to live out their fantasies of creating players, owning a team, and recreating history or creating their own. From club level play to national level play, there are so many features that have allowed fans to enjoy endless hours of fun. PES is another series that has given rise to many new and old fans alike and given them interactive fun with football, and even Football Manager too for the truly hardcore fans who want to imagine their role as a team mastermind. These games have introduced the world of football to the young and old and allow for a new aspect of appreciation for the sport. They have been among some of the most popular and highest-selling games in history, which just further shows how important the beautiful game is to such a huge variety of people, regardless of background, nationality, or age.
Football is and probably always will be the most popular sport in the world. It is only growing in popularity as people see how fun and important it is. It has a long and rich history, which is hard to truly pin down but remains vital in understanding how the modern era of football has been shaped by its past. The changes that have occurred to football have not always been great, but for a sport that has been around for so long, it is hard to truly innovate something that needs very little changes, and many of the ones here have only helped the sport.
