What is the most watched and played sport in the world? It is not American football, baseball, volleyball, or even basketball. It is soccer.

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. There are 240 million registered players in the world, although there are many more unregistered players as well. It is also the most viewed sport with about 3.5 billion fans. But soccer is not just a fun sport to play or to watch: it also helps build friendships, creates strong unity, and improves teamwork skills. 

Players of the Saint Viator soccer team agree. 

“[Soccer] let me meet new people,” said sophomore Conor Nugent. “These people are people I might have never talked to and I was able to build friendships with them.” 

Soccer also provides immense experience working with others and building key values such as teamwork.

“I have played with almost the same teammates my whole life…but joining Saint Viator soccer gave me the opportunity and a new perspective on how to work with others,” said Nugent.

Along with the teamwork skills that are built while playing soccer, the unity of teammates forms friendships that can last a lifetime.

“We need to work together in order to score goals and defend the goal,” said sophomore Thomas Westerkamp. “Building bonds with teammates helps us improve as a team and ultimately leads…[to] deep friendships forming.”

The creation of these friendships are a key aspect of athletics that make sports something beyond physical activity; the meaning of athletics takes its root in the relationships, unity, and love formed through each individual team. However, soccer is able to take this meaning beyond teammates; through soccer, the entire world unites. Billions of people join together to watch and experience the love of the game, creating a similarity between many. While any sport is able to create lifelong bonds, unforgettable experiences, and passion that will endure, soccer embraces a community that unites not just Saint Viator, but the entire world.