Most Popular in The World: Soccer

Sports are played all over the world. They are played as careers, hobbies, at the collegiate level, or purely as part of an exercise routine. Most sports have gained in popularity due to mass media coverage around the world. There are over 8000 sports in the world, all are competitive and most enjoyed globally. However, three sports are proclaimed they are the most popular in the world: Ultimate Frisbee, American football, and fútbol (otherwise known as soccer).

In Isaac Saul’s article, “The Greatest Sport in the World Is Not What You’re Thinking,” published in the HuffPost, April 2014, Saul spouts that Ultimate Frisbee, despite being unknown is a “magnificent sport”, and “is about to come out of the shadows”. He realizes it’s a tad offbeat, but notes that not only are ultimate frisbee players getting better and better every year, the sport continues to get increased exposure on a day-to-day basis. He backs his claim with multiple reasons as to why it’s not the “big four”; football, basketball, hockey, and baseball, that are one of the greatest sports in the world, it is Ultimate Frisbee.

Saul highlights the uniqueness of the sport and identifies what true athleticism it takes to successfully play the sport. Excessive amounts of running parallels soccer, and diving catches are made, similar to those by outfielders in baseball. And many plays are made in the air that is comparable to basketball and football. Aside from athleticism, there is also a huge social aspect with Ultimate. Annual tournaments for all levels of play take place throughout the United States. Intramural leagues are part of numerous college campuses, relationships are built outside of work and there is a large emphasis on community outreach. In fact, in 2008 a non-profit organization Ultimate Peace was established to bring together Israelis and Palestinians. The goal of this organization is to build friendships by playing Ultimate Frisbee.

While Saul's article focuses on his personal views, it fails to include some staggering statistics on the sport of Ultimate Frisbee. Around the world, Ultimate is played in over 90 countries. The sport has its own governing body and is recognized by the International Olympic Committee with eligibility to compete in the 2024 Olympics. America founded their own professional league in 2012 made up of 21 franchise teams. A recent article, “Ultimate Frisbee sports spikes in popularity….” Published on 7news, April 2019, stated that Ultimate “now is the fastest growing sport”. After much research and much reading, Ultimate seems to be praised as the best sport you’ve never heard of.

Although I do agree that Ultimate has made great strides, the staggering numbers and statistics fail in comparison to other sports. According to Wikipedia, “In 2012 there were 5.1 million Ultimate players across the United States, but there are no known facts to determine how many people play around the world”. The ability to view the game is very limited. Streaming is available on YouTube and various Facebook pages, but no major media coverage is available. Does the sport require great skills? Yes! Is it fun? Yes! Pickup games are easy; all you need is a field and a frisbee, but calling it the greatest sport in the world is a stretch.

While baseball is known as America’s pastime, football is America’s sport, and it could possibly be the greatest sport in the world. The National Football League (NFL), was introduced in 1920. Currently, it is comprised of 32 teams across the United States. In David Webber's article, “10 Reasons Why American Football is the Best Sport in the World”, Bleacher Report, September 14, 2011; Webber gives proven reasons as to why football is the most exciting sport in the world. Football has rivalries, Cinderella stories, and of course, the end all be all; The Super Bowl!

Rivalries tend to come about due to an event that caused bad blood between teams, coaches, or individual players. Rivalries get dirty and can bring out the worst in a player. More often than not, it brings out the best. When it comes to rivalries, all sports have them, but according to Webber, “no rivalries are more intense than those in football”. With rivalries come intrusive plays, an abundance of yellow flags, insane helmet-to-helmet hits, and the potential for sideline clearing fights. They might not be as historic as in other sports, but the intensity is greater, making the game more exciting than any other sport.

Who doesn’t like a good fairy tale? A Cinderella Story in sports refers to an individual or team who achieves sudden or unexpected recognition, and football is packed with such stories. David Webber points out some of the greatest Cinderella stories that all sports fans can identify with. One such story is that of quarterback Kurt Warner. Kurt has been called “The Cinderella Man”. His story is a true story of rags to riches. Undrafted after college, he turned to Arena football and failed. He was bagging groceries when he was given a shot by the St. Louis Rams in 1990; where he led the Rams to a Super Bowl victory and became the Super Bowl MVP. It was a miracle season and a story that 20th Century Fox has acquired the rights to make a feature film.

The Super Bowl is the annual championship game that pairs the top team from each NFL conference. Unlike other sports championships, which names their champion from the best of seven games, the Super Bowl “is a game that defines no tomorrow”. It is the most-watched event in American television. It is a shared cultural experience that is considered an unofficial holiday in the United States. More food is consumed on this day than any other day. Due to the viewership of the Super Bowl, airtime space is at an ultimate high; therefore, companies develop commercials unlike no other, many of which have become the most famous commercials in history. Halftime shows are traditional and comprise of the most well-known performers in pop culture. With all this being said, what other sport can compete with this?

Football hasn’t gone without controversy. In 2017, a player by the name of Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the National Anthem, opting to take a knee, to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Soon after, an extraordinary number of fellow players joined in the protest. These acts of protest generated mixed reactions from fans to the President of the United States. Viewership of the sport declined, and our country became one divided. How can America’s sport be the greatest sport in the world and be anti-patriotic at the same time?

When it comes to playing your first sport, it will most likely be soccer. Nowadays, the majority of families all around the world put their kids in a local soccer league to get them active and meet more kids. Soccer is being played in almost every country around the globe. According to TYT Sports, “Soccer isn’t like any other sport out there, the world’s social lives and breathes soccer”. Culture has evolved around soccer ever since its existence. Soccer is a worldwide and cultural sport. The guys from TYT Sports also stated, “If football was played in other countries besides America and Canada, it can grow to the potential of soccer”. With that being said, Soccer dominates the globe with love and compassion with its fanbase that spreads throughout the world. There is still hope that football can get their since now the NFL has a game played in the United Kingdom to showcase the great sport.

Now, let's cut to the chase. Everyone has their own thoughts and opinions on which sport is the best. Ultimate Frisby and American football are great sports all around, but I believe that soccer is the overall best sport in the world. As the population increases day by day, more sports will grow and maybe one day the world will create a sport that will overtake all of those in existence.