| A. He also wrote the sport's official rules. B. Soccer is the world's favorite sport. C. Soccer performances are pleasing to the eyes. D. It's hard to say where soccer's birthplace is. E. But one reason is how simple the sport is. |
It has around 3 billion fans — nearly half the world's population! And about 300 million people play this game. That's 4 percent of the world's population!
Many people in old days played early forms of this modern game. Cuju (蹴鞠)，a ball-kicking game in China, was reported as early as 2,500 B.C. Around the same time in Greece, people were also playing a similar ball game with any part of the body except hands.
But modern soccer didn't become official(官方的) until 1863. An Englishman called Cobb Morley introduced the idea of a soccer association(联盟). From then on, other associations in the countries were set up. They came together to build up the FIFA, which organizes the World Cup.
It's not easy to tell what makes soccer so popular. Soccer needs only two feet and a ball. This makes it a sport that developing countries can easily play. Some of the sport's best players come from these poor nations.
The sport's no-hands rule makes beautiful dance — like movements on the field. What's more, this sport excites the heart. Teams might score only a few times each match, so matches can turn around suddenly.
No one knows who will win at the next World Cup. But one thing is certain: The world will be watching.
