Soccer is the most 'popular' sport in the world because it is played more than any other by kids growing up. ... So, yeah, ya see…Soccer's not so much “The Beautiful Game'' as it is…
soccer is a global sport. soccer is thought to have originated in 12th century England and became so popular that the Kings Henry II and Henry IV had to ban it. what helped with the globalisation of it was Britains global influence. at the peak of its power, the British Empire nearly covered a quarter of the planet, meaning that it was very easy to spread the game of soccer to many other countries.
soccer is also popular because it can literally be played anywhere, all you need is a ball. it also doesn't require very many players, whereas games of rugby or American football would often need more players. the rules are quite simple so anyone can play it, and since only a ball is needed, the poor often play it aswell since balls aren’t too expensive (eg the slums of brazil).
what is also very important to understand is that the creation of the television boosted the popularity by a huge amount. the first football game was televised in England in 1937 and the first World Cup was televised in 1954. televised matches were able to capture the imaginations of those watching. it inspired the next generation of footballers, making them want to be like their idols, wanting to play on the biggest stage of all. It is thought that around 16% of the worlds population watched Germany beat Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final.
