The Power of Soccer as a Peacemaking Tool

Soccer is considered the most popular sport in the world to date. The world cup is the most watched sporting event every four years, even more so than the Olympics. The world cup is truly an amazing event to watch no matter who you are. Every four years a simple game is played with just a ball and a goal. One African village stopped sending electricity to its coal mines so that it could get enough energy to power a single television to watch the world cup final. In 2006 a total of one billion people were watching the world cup final of Italy against France for two hours. That means that one out of every six people in the world stopped what they were doing to watch the final game of this astounding sporting event. Soccer is a sport that can be used as a tool to bring people together even in times of war.

When someone steps on a soccer field everything is put behind them, all of their troubles are virtually gone. International matches between two fighting countries can be played peacefully even while the two countries are fighting a war. Soccer has done so much to create peace in this world. In 2006 the Ivory Coast was fighting a civil war for over 40 years. This war caused thousands of people to die and created an extraordinary amount of violence. In 2006, the Ivory Coast qualified for its first every world cup and the president got feuding factions to stop fighting for the first time in over forty years. This is a prime example of how soccer can stop violence and spread peace.

Soccer is also a tool that can be used to give children a hobby and keep them off the streets. In poor countries many children turn to soccer instead of doing drugs or drinking. The great thing about soccer is that it can be played anywhere in the world because it is such a simple game. All you need is a ball and two rocks to start playing. The two rocks can each be used as a goal post when playing. Most people do not realize that soccer is not only a sport, but also a powerful tool that can be used to unite the world.