There have always been debates as to which sport is the favorite. In the recent couple of decades, football, which is otherwise known as soccer, at least in the United States, has been the most popular sport in the world.
But, being the most popular sport in the world doesn’t mean that it is also the most popular sport of a certain country. In Europe, football is immensely popular and children flock to the sport, whether for the passion of it, or with dreams of becoming superstar players. In the US, children most likely want to become the next NBA star or NFL star, not to mention baseball.
Football, or rather, soccer, is also played in the US, but it is not nearly as popular as baseball, basketball and American football. Even ice hockey is trading blows with football. So, are those the only differences, or are there more? Let us explore for a moment, and then conclude.
Europe’s Favorite Sport – Football
Whenever there is a Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1 or Bundesliga match, people sit by their screens and watch. If they can’t watch, you can be sure that they will check for the results at a later time. Football is watched by many people and a lot of those people bet on football matches.
Children love playing football and it is often that you will see local football pitches full of people, playing a friendly game. Some organize local tournaments and every relatively large city has its own club, in almost every country in Europe. Being such a popular sport, it has a very loose leash.
Player salary caps don’t exist and at least three players, Messi, Neymar Jr. and Ronaldo, earn upwards of 100 million euros annually.
This is very different to the United States, where Major League Soccer is taking its time to become popular.
The US Sports Scene – A Different Story
While the people in Europe live and breathe football as a favorite sport, in the United States, the NBA, NFL and MLB are the most popular top leagues, or rather, top sports. Basketball has always been popular in the United States and American football is a favorite in many households. Baseball is a legendary sport in the United States and people collecting rare baseball memorabilia is a very common hobby.
Football, or soccer, is not as popular. Some people enjoy it, but their own league, Major League Soccer, is different to that of Europe.
Players have salary caps and winning doesn’t get you much more. Players in Europe can be traded like they’re a simple part of a business deal, while in the United States, it is a bit more rigorous. Football has a long way to go before it reaches fame comparable to that of the NBA or NFL in the United States.
Whether in Europe or the US, football is a great sport to watch, and even though it is somewhat different in terms of management between the continent and country, it remains the most popular sport in the world.
