Football was originally a game enjoyed by the working classes in Britain. By the late 19th century, big matches attracted up to 30,000 spectators. Travelling British people spread the game to other countries, and soon the sport had fans in India and South America. Today, football is played worldwide, and many nations have national teams.
Football is played by two teams against each other on a rectangular field. It is fast-paced, and involves a lot of body contact. The object of the game is to get the ball to the opponents’ end of the field by passing it or catching it. The ball is scored when it crosses the goal line. The team that scores a touchdown is awarded six points. The opposing team may then attempt an extra-point conversion.
The game’s popularity continued to grow, and in 1908, it became an Olympic sport. Since then, it has been played at every Summer Games. The game has also been regulated globally by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The FIFA World Cup is the largest international football tournament, held every four years. The World Cup is the most watched sport in the world, boasting twice the audience of the Summer Olympics.
Football is an important sport in many parts of the world, and plays a major role in local communities. In 2005, the Cote d’Ivoire national football team was believed to have played a role in securing a civil war truce. Football also caused tensions in the Yugoslavian wars during the 1990s. In one match, Red Star Belgrade played Dinamo Zagreb, which resulted in rioting.
