Football: What It Means

Football is much more than just a sport. It is more than a passion, more than the air we breathe; it is the sport. In every sense of the word, football is everything. This game is often described as an escape from our everyday lives, however for some, that is just the tip of the iceberg. It is not just a sport or a game. It is a religion, an escape, and a way of living.

From loyal, die-hard fans to people who casually enjoy the beautiful game, football is embedded in our core memories. After a long, exhausting day at school, as children, we often found the energy to play with the neighborhood kids until our legs could no longer bear us. At every family gathering we either were pretending to be Messi or Ronaldo. At times we chose to actually watch them compete against each other, arguing and debating who was better. We were clearly oblivious to the fact that, years later, we would miss them both equally. We all came together with friends and family to enjoy the World Cup or Champions League finals, knowing that we were divided amongst ourselves by rivalries and pride, however, joined together by the love of the game. Whether on the field or on TV, the effects of football were not contained by the walls of the stadiums, but rather expanded to our memories, hearts, and emotions.

Those feelings are not confined to the field, but rather they are typically shared by those in the stadiums. Stadiums are not just arenas that hold the fans. Stadiums in football are temples; they have been hosts to the most sacred and memorable moments that have formed the sport. The Estadio Azteca in Mexico City has witnessed both Pelé and Maradona win the World Cup. The Olympiastadion in Berlin was witness to Zidane’s red card back in 2006 and, more recently, Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams lighting up the wings for Spain as they brought back European glory to their country. Stadiums are the sanctuaries which bear the pride of national anthems, the passion emanated by the flares of the ultras, and the pulse of the game. Every emotion possible is heightened in these arenas and these very stadiums are a testament to the fact that the beautiful game is nothing without the people who cherish it and share it’s passion every day.

Football, however, is not just exclusively an emotional getaway. For others, it has been a way to escape war and poverty-ridden countries. Refugees that have left everything they have ever known, have a moments peace with just a ball and the rocks they use as goal posts. Those in the favelas in Brazil have only one way to escape their almost certain future of crime or poverty; football. Every year, there is a Homeless World Cup, providing the opportunity for those without a home to improve their lives by their simple love of the sport. Despite the circumstances, the beautiful game has created a way out emotionally, socially and economically for people who are often forgotten.

The stakes are unforgivingly high; for in this sport even a single goal or a game has the potential to sew a country back together or rip it apart. Back in 2006, Didier Drogba helped unite the Ivory Coast during a civil war after qualifying for their first ever World Cup. The Football War in 1970 is an example of the opposite; as a football game was the eventual catalyst which led to a war between El Salvador and Honduras. Both of these examples are testament to the fact that football contains such powerful emotions capable of changing the very history of whole nations.

That being said, whether you just find yourself and the ball on the street or playing in the Camp Nou, Football is not just a sport. It is more than a religion, more than a passion, and more than a way of living. It is the fans rushing the field as Bayer Leverkusen clinch their first Bundesliga title. It is the silence after Roberto Baggio’s penalty kick in the World Cup final in 1998. It is the pain of Andres Escobar’s own goal which cost him his life. It is Barcelona, Paris, Munich, Rio, Mexico City, Rosario, Miami, Rabat, Abuja, and Tokyo. For 90 minutes, there are no political, economic, social, or cultural divisions of any kind. We are all united by the same passion and love.

The beautiful game resides beneath the fabric of our being. It is the epitome of being human: the highs, the lows, the passion, the tension, the heartbreak, and the thrill. This sport is so much larger than us. In every sense of the word, football is more than life.