Week 4

I have always found soccer to be an intriguing topic. However, after reading about the history of soccer in this module, I have come to have a much better understanding of everything soccer has impacted in the world. Some of the things that I have come to understand include the fact that soccer was not only invented in England, as many of us might have the tendency to think. The origins of soccer are much more ancient than those of the Mesoamerican culture or the Chinese culture. The people in these ancient cultures were playing soccer, which proves that the history of humanity is full of passion for ball games (Bowman, 2020). This is the reason why I have come to understand soccer as a game that can develop anywhere in the world, not in one specific country.

I was also able to learn about the development of soccer as an important issue of national identity in Latin America. The readings provided a brief description of the development of soccer in Uruguayan culture. It was not just an activity, but something to be proud of. What surprised me was that the initial success on the world stage, such as winning the 1930 World Cup, made the small country of Uruguay fascinating to itself and brought it into conjunction with later periods of history (Campo, 2014).

Nevertheless, the readings also made me have some questions. What has been the impact of the commercialization of soccer, particularly with the emergence of deals with big money and sponsorship on the one hand, on how the sport impacts national pride nowadays? I also began asking myself questions about women’s soccer in areas where men are traditionally seen as the dominating gender in the game. How is that evolving?

These readings allowed me to realize that soccer is indeed significant as not only a game, but a way for people of a particular land to express their national identity and cultural pride. Soccer has far-reaching implications that go way beyond the field, and it determines the way we comprehend different cultures across the globe.

References

Bowman, W. D. (2020). The World Cup as world history. Rowman & Littlefield.

Campomar, A. (2014). Golazo! : the beautiful game from the Aztecs to the World Cup : the complete history of how soccer shaped Latin America. Riverhead Books.