Soccer Continues to Dominate International Sports

One of the most popular sports in the entire world is soccer. Although it's the premier sport in most European countries, the sport has just begun gaining popularity in the United States over the past couple of decades.
The origins of modern soccer date all the way back to medieval Europe with roots steeped in Chinese culture. Formal rules were not officially established until 1848 when a group at Cambridge University drafted a set of guidelines. Over the subsequent decades, these rules were modified by a number of different organizations looking to support their own soccer leagues. By the beginning of the 1900s, organized soccer became widespread and many different governing bodies were formed in order to standardize rules and promote international competition. Soccer was first added to the modern summer Olympics lineup at the 1900 games in Paris, France. This led to the formation of FIFA, the organization that dominates the soccer scene worldwide.
Modern soccer's premier event is the FIFA World Cup. This tournament has been held every four years since 1930, except during World War II. Participating countries field a national team of homegrown players and pit their skills against other countries. Regional qualifying rounds are held in the four year period between Cups. A total of 32 teams are entered into the actual event. One country plays host for the entire duration of the tournament and rounds typically run for just over a month. When the field is narrowed to just two teams, they play the championship game that determines the overall winner. The World Cup is one of the most watched sporting events in the world. Nearly 750 million people watched the championship game on television in 2006.
In addition to the FIFA World Cup, many players also participate in professional leagues in Europe and the United States. Top players are paid rather large sums of money and become international superstars. Major league soccer has had a rocky start in America, but still thrives in a somewhat limited market.
Soccer has been gaining prominence in many areas of the world, particularly developing nations. This is mostly due to the simple rules and small amount of equipment required to play. In order to get a match going, all you need is an open field, a ball, and a way to mark the goal areas. All of these factors make the sport extremely accessible for even the most impoverished countries.