Football: A game of passion, perseverance, skill, stamina and teamwork.
Football is a game of passion, perseverance, skill, stamina and teamwork. The aim is to score most goals by putting the ball into the opposition net. Since the beginning of the game in the late 19th century in England, there have been significant improvements in the game. The level at which football is played professionally is very high, and only a few select make it to that level. Only the cream of the cream gets the opportunity to represent their country at the international level.
A total of 22 players, 11 on each side play the game for 90 minutes, divided into two halves of 45 minutes each. Players get a short break after the first half to replenish their energies and review strategies. A total of 3 substitutions are allowed to each team, and it is the decision of Coach or Manager to make this substitution or not. The modern game football consists of a lot of strategies, formations and tactics. The coach uses these to put their team in control of the game. The squad consists of attackers, midfielders and defenders.
Professional footballers are extremely dedicated athletes who begin playing football in their early childhood and are scouted by big clubs who train them at their world-class facilities. The players require mastery of the ball and a brilliant footballing mind to be able to perform at the world stage. These are no easy skill and require years of constant dedication and practice. Some of the footballing greats of the past are Pele, Maradona, Johan Cryuff and Ronaldinho. The present footballing era is controlled by two greats of the game, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. There are often many heated debates as to who is better, but the one thing that is certain is that both of them are professional athletes with great desire and discipline.
The biggest international tournament is the FIFA World Cup, which is held every four years. A total of 32 countries take part in the final event who qualify for it. At the end of the competition, only one team is crowned the World Champion. The 2018 edition of the World Cup saw France lift the world cup under Coach Didier Deschamps. With the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappe, Hugo Lloris, Raphael Varane, Olivier Giroud and Ngolo Kante, France was being termed as the favourites to win the competition.
Other than the World Cup, football fans all over the world are crazy for one more tournament, The UEFA Champions League which features top clubs across Europe, one of the most famous footballing continent. The winners of this competition are crowned the Champions of Europe.
The game of football is played over a period of 90 minutes divided into two halves. It is filled with passion and grit and is a test of concentration, skill, teamwork and heart. It is the most followed and watched sport on the planet. The game is people’s sport which is a fun outdoor activity as well. Football requires no special equipment but just a ball and a couple of people to enjoy it with. The simplicity of the game is the sole reason why the game is so popular. You don’t need dedicated fields or world-class stadiums to enjoy the game of football.
Football traces its historical presence during the time of Greeks, but the modern game of football was invented in England in the late 19th century. Since then the game has evolved into a sport with most viewership. The 2018 FIFA world cup alone had 3.572 billion viewership worldwide. FIFA world cup is the most coveted international tournament held every four years in which almost every country in the entire globe participates. Only 32 countries qualify to the final stage of the tournament, where they compete with the best teams from each continent.
Other than the FIFA world cup, each continent has its own tournament. Asia has the Asian Cup, Africa has African Cup of Nations, South America hosts Copa America, North America organises Gold Cup, and Europe hosts UEFA Champions League. The Oceania region hosts the Nation Cup. UEFA Champions League is one of the most-watched footballing league in which top clubs from Europe participate to be crowned the champions of Europe. The current champions are Bayern Munich who won the tournament by beating Paris-Saint Germain the 2020 finals. Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club, is the most successful in the UEFA Champions League winning it 13 times.
Playing football professionally requires a lot of dedication and discipline. Talented players are scouted in their childhood, and they are trained in academies where they receive proper training for several years before they are scouted by bigger clubs depending upon the performance. The top clubs in the World are Real Madrid, Manchester United, Barcelona, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, AC Milan and many others. The top 5 footballing nations as they are so-called because of the popularity of their leagues are- Spain, England, France, Italy and Germany, and their respective leagues are LaLiga, Premier League, France Ligue 1, Serie A and Bundesliga.
Football is a team sport, and the players require a lot of skill and talent combined with hard work and a true passion for the game. The players in the team have to know each other really well to be able to perform at the highest level. Top players are great at adapting because of the superiority in skill and mindset. It is the dream of every young footballer to be able to play in front of a big crowd in a big stadium and to represent their country at international level. Football teaches us that the name on the front of the T-Shirt is more important than one at the back. To be able to play together really well, each and every player has to have a lot of trust and faith in his teammates.
