Where is soccer most popular?

 As the world’s most popular sport, soccer has proven its No. 1 dominance in sports games. It attracts the largest number of soccer fans on the planet, regardless of gender, color, nationality, religion. Let Scott Fujita give you the answer.

WHERE IS SOCCER MOST POPULAR?

Soccer has proven its popularity in every corner of the planet. In 2001, according to a survey by FIFA, there were more than 250 million people regularly playing football in more than 200 countries.

However, it is still most popular in countries with a long history of the sport. These are the countries of North Europe or Central America and South America. Besides, football also has a large fan base in Africa countries.

1. NORTH EUROPE

Northern Europe is a relatively developed area of European football. Here are the presence of the top national teams in the world. They are not easy opponents to any team in the world. 

In the EURO 2016 champions league, Sweden’s mark as an affirmation for the renaissance of football in the Nordic region.

The period from the 30s to the 50s of the last century was the most flourishing period of Nordic football. In which Sweden is the nucleus for that successful period. At this stage, Sweden has always been one of the strongest national teams in the world. 

In the four World Cups held during this period, Sweden has achieved many successes. It was a runner-up in 1958, a third in 1950, a fourth in 1938 and a quarterfinal in 1934. impression that few countries can replicate.

Anyway, it is undeniable that North Europe is already one of the most popular sports areas in the world.

2. CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA

Referring to Central and South America football is reminiscent of the magic of the ball or the performance on skillful feet.

This place produced many legends such as Diego Maradona, Ronaldo de Lima or Ronaldinho. Those are always legends.

In the world, people consider football as an entertainment sport expressing the desire to win. However, people in South America consider football as a religion. Yes, it is exactly a creed. You will not find it difficult to see stadiums shaking with the cheers of millions of passionate soccer fans. The love of the Central and South America people for the round ball is unquestionable.

WHAT COUNTRY DOES SOCCER ORIGINATE FROM?

Many people believe that soccer originated in England because England is known as the homeland of soccer. Actually, that’s not the case. England is the only country to host the first soccer champions league in the world.

Soccer was actually first played in an Asia country – China, in the 2nd or 3rd century BC. During the Han Dynasty, soldiers trained their strength by dividing their numbers evenly. They then compete for a ball made of cloth or leather and attempt to kick the opponent’s goal. However, there were not as many clear rules back then as there are today.

WHY IS ENGLAND THE HOME OF SOCCER?

It was not until the 19th century that this sport was popular at some universities in England. The first soccer club was in 1824 with the name “The FootBall club”. It has its headquarters located in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Soccer at that time was like a combination of both rugby and football. The reason is that the players had the right to use their hands to control the ball. They can also kick and dribble with their feet. Besides, players can wrestle with each other.

However, this stage has the appearance of a player holding the goal, called a goalkeeper. This is the clear difference and development of soccer at this stage compared to the previous one.

In England there is a very hot soccer league named English Premier League. Premier League is a professional football tournament for British teams. The Premier League is also the highest soccer league in the British soccer league system.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST FOOTBALL LEAGUE AROUND THE WORLD?

Below are some major football leagues in the world at the national team level

1. WORLD CUP

The World Cup took place with the participation of 32 soccer teams. These are the strongest teams in their respective regions. And they must be FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) members. Brazil holds a record of 5 championships. Next is Italy with Germany 4 times in the World Cup title.

2. EUROPEAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP – EURO CUP

In terms of attractiveness, the EURO is even better than the World Cup. It is thanks to the enthusiasm of the players as well as the calculation of the coaches.

3. COPA AMERICA

Copa America is the national team championship of the South American continent. This is one of the oldest football team-level soccer leagues in existence.

Usually, a Copa America will have 12 or 16 soccer teams. The guest teams are usually from Asia (Japan, Qatar, etc)and North America (Mexico, America, etc).

Currently, Brazil is the defending champion of the soccer leagues. The top scorers in Copa America history are Norberto Mendez (Argentina) and Zizinho (Brazil) with 17 goals.

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