The beautiful game and the World Cup
- Digital Journalism
- Apr 15
- 2 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
By Enzo Di Giovanni
NEW YORK – In two months’ time, the world will shift its focus to the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The reason behind this is the FIFA World Cup, which will start on June 11th in Mexico. Soccer is the world's most global game and the World Cup is the most watched sporting event in the world. The tournament which has been around since 1930, brings joy to billions of individuals every four years when it is hosted.
With the World Cup being a quadrennial event, the anticipation before the tournament can be seen on social media and television everywhere in the world. People can be seen playing on the streets, at parks, or anywhere a ball can roll, just thinking about how the professionals will take the world’s biggest stage in less than 70 days. During the World Cup, people will be able to get immersed in the game at its highest point.
People of different cultures from all over the world will get together to experience the games as one. Two strangers may end up embracing each other as if they’ve been friends for years. This year, the World Cup will be the largest it has ever been. The tournament has expanded to 48 countries, up from 32. There are countries making their debuts as well as those returning after long hiatuses. This all adds to the enormous excitement for the tournament. With 104 matches, we are sure to witness the biggest World Cup of all time.
With the World Cup Final set to be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, New Yorkers will have the unique possibility of attending the biggest game, right in their own backyard. It has been over 30 years since the World Cup was on U.S. soil back in 1994. In that tournament, attendance records were broken and it was the most financially successful tournament in history.
The growth of the MLS (Major League Soccer) has contributed in part to this boom in the popularity of soccer here in the U.S. An example of this growth can be seen with New York City Football Club, who is building their own stadium in Queens, next to Citi Field. This stadium will be the first soccer-specific stadium in New York . It can be assumed that World Cup records will once again be broken due to the growing popularity of soccer in the U.S. While soccer continues to catch on here in the U.S., most of the world has been engaged for over a century.
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