By: Pwe Doh Gay
One of the most popular sports in the world is soccer. This sport is enjoyed by millions of people worldwide, both as players and spectators. However, where did soccer originate? When did it begin? How does the World Cup stages work? Who is the best soccer player?
Soccer, also known as football in other parts of the world, originated in ancient Rome and China. Soccer balls were first created from animal hide and other materials in the area where they originated. Cuju in ancient China and harpastum in Rome are early ball sports with similarities to modern soccer. In 1863, the Football Association, FA, established the official soccer rules, known as the no hands.
Professional soccer, however, began in England in the nineteenth century and has since spread throughout the world. The first international soccer match took place in 1872 between England and Scotland. Then, in 1904, FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) appeared and began to take over, and in 1930, FIFA hosted a party, the World Cup, which has since become an important aspect of soccer and occurs every four years.
The World Cup begins with the group stage, which consists of 32 teams divided into eight groups of four teams each. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage; followed by the round of 16, which consists of 16 teams divided into two groups of eight; the quarter-final, which consists of eight teams; the semi-final, which consists of four teams; and finally the finals, which consist of two teams.
As the sport progressed, further rules were established, such as the penalty kick in 1891 and the yellow and red cards in the 1970 World Cup final.
Pele and Zinedine Zidane are soccer icons because they performed moves that no one else had done and set records. There are numerous discussions over who is the best soccer player in the world. But players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Roberto Baggio, Pele, and Diego Maradona make it on almost every list.
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