Did you know that it is estimated that the World Cup is one of the most well-known sports events in the world? Because of this, you probably know that the World Cup this year started on Sunday, November 20th. The World Cup is a soccer tournament that occurs every four years, where the top countries fight it out in a soccer tournament where there can only be one winner, and is so popular because it represents many of the countries around the world. 

To begin, no matter how exciting this event is, it is essential to know where it originated. The first FIFA World Cup took place on July 13, 1930, which was a Sunday. The World Cup is a tradition for many families, where they gather together to watch. A total of 3.5 billion people watched the 2018 World Cup. This is a 9% increase of 3.2 billion people who watched the World Cup in 2014. There have been only 22 World Cups, counting the 2022 World Cup. Brazil holds the record for winning the most World Cups, sitting at 5, with Italy and Germany on its tail at 4. For the first time in the history of the sport, the 2002 World Cup was held in 2 different countries, South Korea and Japan. This is irregular because they are usually held in one country or state.

To continue, like previously stated, there are many traditions to follow the event. A popular tradition is to swap jerseys! This tradition was made when Andre Santos asked for Robin Van Persie’s shirt at halftime. This tradition was believed to have originated in 1931 when France beat England for the first time and the French players asked to keep the shirts as a memento. This tradition sets the tone of the soccer games as it gets everyone hyped up and into the spirit of the World Cup. 

Subsequently, the World Cup is the most popular event in the world based on its popularity. The World cup overshadows the Olympics, which only gets around 2 billion views. According to World Cup facts, approximately one out of every nine people on Earth watched the 2006 World Cup final match. The tournament currently sees 32 teams vying for the top spot. In 2010, 204 teams entered to qualify for the world’s most popular sporting event. This fact is fascinating because it recognizes that every 1 out of 9 people have watched the 2006 World Cup final match. Even though this is probably not what happened with the 2022 World Cup, it is still really substantial that the World Cup is that popular of a sporting event.

To end things, the World Cup is very important and substantial to a lot of people around the world. As clearly stated the World Cup is clearly watched more than any other sporting event, there are multiple teams that are very talented which make the popularity even rise. Also because there are so many traditions that make the World Cup as special as it is. So as you can see the World Cup is very popular for multiple reasons and is very memorable around the world. Did you watch the games this year?

Works Cited

“20 World Cup Facts – History, Organization, Culture & More.” Facts.net, 31 May 2022, https://facts.net/world-cup-facts/. Accessed 6 December 2022.

“World Cup Ultimate Guide – World Cup History and Facts.” Roadtrips, https://www.roadtrips.com/luxury-travel-guides/world-cup-ultimate-guide/. Accessed 6 December 2022.