Soccer’s Brazilian Influence

Despite the popularity of so many sports throughout the world, none has as big an influence as soccer. And now were in the world has it been more influential than in Brazil where it has become not only a national pass time but an obsession. Soccer stars in Brazil are like Rock stars here in the United States.

Some say that the appeal of soccer comes from its inexpensive nature. There is no expensive equipment or uniforms to buy. All you need is an interested bunch of people, a place to play the game and a ball. In countries such as Brazil, where the economy is so bad yet everyone still needs an athletic activity to do, soccer is ideal. Kids will find any place they can to play. You can find people playing in places such as the beach, vacant lots or even in the streets.

In America, football and baseball are the sports that inspire the dreams of our young men. For Brazilian boys it is soccer. They play in the hopes of making a better life for themselves and their families. It is players such as Pele, and Ronaldo along with many others, that have inspired these children to take up the sport of soccer. They have shown that the hard work and discipline that soccer requires can bring them great success as well as large paychecks for professional soccer players.

The influence of the game on the country as well as the young people is evident in every street game you watch. You can see the hope in their eyes when they score a goal or defend a good play. You can almost see how much they want a life as a professional soccer player in every step they take. It doesn’t matter to them if they have a real soccer ball or a make shift one made of a soda can or rolled up socks, they just want to play the game and make something out of themselves and their futures.

It is out of the humble beginnings of players such as Pele and Ronaldo that the game of soccer has grown into what it is today to Brazilian culture and life. They too started in the streets and lots of Brazil hoping for a better life which they have achieved and surpassed even their wildest dreams. This is what Brazilian soccer is all about. It is a rags to riches story that every child wants to live for themselves.