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The United States of America is not particularly known for their people’s love for the sport of soccer, or “fútbol.” I am not going to lie, the lack of love for soccer in the US is very alarming. The biggest and most played sport in the world is only ranked fourth in this country as the most played or watched according to a survey conducted by Statista.  

The World Cup is a tournament played every four  years and regarded as the pinnacle of soccer. The best athletes from 32 countries meet in one place to win the ultimate prize that every player dreams of winning. Heroes, villains, and legends can make a name for themselves in front of an estimated four billion individual viewers across the whole tournament.  

The previous World Cup held in Russia totalled 3.5 billion viewers according to FIFA’s website. For the first time since 2014 the USA has qualified for the World Cup, and for the first time since 2010, the team will play my home country, England, This is an extremely exciting time for me and many others who are involved in soccer.  Note: England and USA finished with a  0-0 draw in the group stage.

But what did the GV community think of the World Cup? 

As expected, the “Freedom Loving Patriots” did not disappoint with their answers. If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say that they thought that the World Cup is the “Super Bowl of soccer,” I would have enough money to be  able to pay this year’s tuition in cash. Although this infuriated me, they were in the ballpark, so I was okay with it. A lot of people did not even know it existed. This was made apparent when a guy said “yeah, no I’m not your guy” and walked off from the interview. This happened a lot more than it should have for the biggest sporting event in the world. Do not get me wrong, it was not all doom and gloom when I interviewed the people on the GV soccer teams. They all knew exactly when it was, and what it was. My teammates, knowing I am English and cheering for the other team, took this time to give me some kind words about how confident they were that the United States would be victorious. My favorite interview was with someone on the soccer team (whose questionable comment prompted them to ask to remain anonymous). Asking, “Is this something the US plays in?” On that note, I called it a night with the interviews. 

I think this year’s World Cup will be nothing but good for the game of soccer in America. If you have not gotten into soccer already, I hope this story has persuaded you. Fútbol is the most beautiful, exciting, and emotional game in the world, and everyone deserves to have it in their life. Fútbol has the power to change lives, empower people and bring everyone together and I am so excited to see what this World Cup will bring, and I hope you are too. Oh, if you have not found a team to support yet I would not be upset if you chose to root for your home nation. Just make sure that Liverpool FC and the Grand View Vikings are the two teams you absolutely support outside of the World Cup. *Wink*