The Growth Of Football As A Sport
Association football, also called simply football Association, is a common team game played between two competing teams of eleven players each. It is the most popular sport in the world, with more than 250 million people playing it in more than 200 different countries and dependencies. The game is predominantly played between men, although women play some games too. But its primary force remains men.
The game was invented in the middle ages by the Christian population as an outlet for religious fervour. It was played on the streets and was considered to be a form of Christian worship because of its nature. The game gained rapid popularity, especially in Britain where it was combined with rugby, and it soon spread all over Europe.
Today, football is one of the most popular sports in the world. A wide variety of international tournaments are held annually, giving fans from every corner of the globe a chance to see their favourite teams battle it out in some of the biggest tournaments. A number of national leagues, particularly in the English-speaking nations, have developed into top sides. Football has even become an integral part of political life in many countries, especially South Africa where the World Cup is regularly hosted.
Although football may seem a game for men, its long-term impact on women is slowly being recognized. Earlier, football players were not well looked upon by women, considering them to be sex objects. Nowadays, many female footballers make a strong footballing presence and have even managed to gain endorsements from famous British football star, Michael Lampard. Many high-profile female football players include Sweden’s Rinkeola Alzakevic and Nigeria’s Sonia Uddenafu. However, the biggest breakthrough came in 2021, when the Canadian football player Desiree Willard became the first woman to represent Canada in a game of football.
A number of high-level football competitions are based in Europe, with the most famous one being the European Cup. The term ” Euromah” is derived from the English word “eway” and “ball”. The competition organiser, Europanic organises the annual competition which is due to take place every four years. The games are played across a number of different countries and are divided between the Europe, Asia and North America.
Football is an ever-growing sport in the world and the younger generations are gradually embracing the game. In some countries, football has even become the country’s predominant sport. Countries such as Japan, Korea and Taiwan are taking football very seriously and even have official football competitions. The game has also gone online with websites now offering football videos that are both entertaining and informative. These video clips are regularly updated so that fans can keep up to date with all the latest on the sport.