Soccer is a global sport with a second to none popularity, especially in Europe!
This appears clearly, not only in the passionate fans, but also in the high quality of their soccer clubs and national teams …
… In this article, I breakdown 15 relevant reasons why soccer is so popularr in Europe!
Let’s dive in.
1. The sport originated in Europe
Many countries around the world could claim to have invented “the beautiful game” known as soccer. However, the modern day soccer we know today originates in England. So, it makes the most sense to say Europe invented soccer.
This fact plays a huge role in the popularity of the sport. Some of the oldest soccer clubs date back to 1897 in Europe. England alone has more than 4,000 registered clubs currently.
Soccer is part of Europe’s history, and the sport will forever remain as the go-to sport for athletes in the area.
2. Passion for the sport
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Every fan’s bucket list includes viewing a live European match.
Why?
Because of the hardcore fans that are just as entertaining as the match itself. The more fun the crowd has, the more likely matches will draw in more people to fill in seats. Europe has passionate fans that play their own pick up games, but also love being in the crowd during a match.
And you can guarantee this passion for the sport is contagious. One game and you get hooked. You’ll want to consume all there is soccer related. In Europe, it’s very easy to convert a non-fan into a die-hard fan.
3. soccer is simple
Soccer is a simple game. All you have to do is get the ball past the opponent’s goalie. There are rules on how you can get the ball down the field, but they are easy to learn. Plus, it’s inexpensive to get going unlike other sports that require tons of equipment – looking at you football and baseball.
All that’s needed is a soccer ball and a minimum of one opponent. The sport allows for more players which mean more people to enjoy and share the game with others.
The low cost is appealing to everyone regardless of financial situation. The rules are simple which is another reason why many people enjoy the sport in Europe.
4. Local support
As mentioned previously, England alone has over 4,000 registered clubs. Again, this is England alone with this massive amount of available clubs.
On a local level, there are plenty of options for amateurs all the way up to professionals. The sport is easily accessible for those looking to compete. Since there’s so many places to compete or hone skills with a coach, interest in the sport remains constant.
5. Soccer culture is huge in Europe
Thanks to brands like Adidas and Puma, soccer culture has exploded. It has come to the point where looking the part is equally as important as having the skill. Or, in some cases, looking the part is good enough.
Teens and adults in Europe have adopted the soccer player look into their everyday wear. Major brands noticed this trend and began offering streetwear that resembles soccer gear, but is made for more casual settings.
Europeans embraced the soccer look and what might start with a wardrobe change eventually leads to kicking the ball around too.
Brands will continue to push their clothes and accessories and in turn soccer will remain popular in Europe.
6. Major Clubs
Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. What do these three clubs have in common? For one, they are all a part of The Union of European Football Association (UEFA). For two, they are some of the top soccer clubs in the world and represent what it means to be a major soccer club in the world.
Every soccer fan knows who these clubs are. Manchester United began in 1878, and continues to produce some of the best players in the world to ever play the game – Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham to name drop two.
Those two names alone draw in plenty of fans around the world, but more importantly gives Europeans someone to cheer for and be proud of. Europe will continue to build up major stars and keep soccer popular for new fans to enjoy the sport.
One of the best and underrated European clubs are in Germany … You can learn more why Germany is Great at soccer … You will find that very useful!
7. Europe has some of the best players
Ronaldo and Beckham have been named so far. That leaves the one and only Messi to be mentioned when talking about popular, and skillful, players in Europe. Can’t forget Neymar or Luis Suárez either.
Why else does Europe have the best players? Besides many opportunities to help young players develop, and plenty of training facilities, the main reason is deep pockets. Money talks in the sports world. If you can’t build them, buy them!
It takes plenty of money to build a dream team. Better players means more wins. More wins equals more fans. Europe will always have fans in seats since they have the most well-known players.
8. More places to play
In order to keep any hobby, or sport in this case, popular you need plenty of new people to join constantly. Fortunately, for kids, and also adults, there are plenty of places for Europeans to play soccer.
For example, hockey needs ice and a rink in order to play true ice hockey. Well, this is not feasible everywhere. Soccer on the other hand needs a field. A simple grass field is easy to come by. Europeans decided it was best to designate plenty of fields to play everywhere.
Indoor soccer has exploded recently, these new fields add even more opportunities to play.
9. Larger, Energetic Stadiums
Every soccer fans bucket list includes watching a match in one of those massive stadiums in Europe.
Real Madrid or Barcelona would be ideal! They’ve built these giant stadiums to fit thousands of die-hard fans.
Sometimes, it’s equally entertaining in the stands as it is on the field. This type of experience reminds people what it means to be a fan. Whether or not someone is a fan, the opportunity to feel the electricity in the air is enough reason to go to a match in Europe.
10. Quality matches
A ton can be said about all the individual players Europe has to offer, which means all these highly skilled players make up amazing teams.
What happens when two top competitors come face to face?
You get amazing matches of course. Low scoring, slow paced games are what drive many people away from the sport. But, in the case of Europe you get a different kind of soccer…
…You get action packed games full of technical prowess, hard hitting shots, and intense competition.
More than enough to make a fan out of anyone.
11. Tons of leagues and Clubs
Since there are plenty of places to play soccer in Europe it also makes sense to have many teams to join. Players of all skill levels have a team to join with plenty of room to grow and stay constantly on the field.
There’s no off season considering there are many places to play. One major issue with any sport is not enough players.
Fortunately, that’s nothing to worry about in Europe. Soccer continues to be huge and remains popular because so many enjoy the sport.
12. Can make more money than other countries
You can make a ton of money playing in the UEFA. For example, Messi’s salary for 2020 was 26 million GBP ($36.2 million USD). Neymar made 36 million GBP. Ronaldo made 31 million Euro which is 37.7 million USD.
This is one year!
With salaries like this you can understand why everyone wants to work their way up to European teams such as Real Madrid or Barcelona.
You also don’t make that kind of money without being worth it. Those three players alone are what make young athletes want to play. Plus, the opportunity to make that much money is another reason to play.
13. Kids have plenty of opportunities to grow in the sport
Something missing from US soccer is opportunities to build up a player from a young age. Europe does the complete opposite.
They scout from an early age. Because of this the world gets better players.
Years of honing their skills make them top competitors. This not only puts these kids through college but in top clubs as well.
It’s similar to how the US puts a lot of focus on High School football players. These opportunities help underprivileged children go to college, but also increase their chances of being drafted in the future.
14. Smaller countries provide ample competition
Europe is full of tiny countries who share close borders with one another. Which is perfect for international matches with more teams.
A fan has plenty of teams to watch and cheer for. Also, gives more countries bragging rights when their home team wins.
All of these countries are able to compete more often with neighboring countries which can not be said about other sports.
15. Advertisers
One of the biggest reasons soccer is so popular in Europe is because of advertisers. Many companies know how large the soccer fan base is. They also understand how players like Messi and Ronaldo become household names and celebrities in their own way.
Because of this, companies know that when a top player walks out on the field with their brand, they are almost guaranteed a boost in sales.
Therefore, it makes sense to advertise in front of millions of fans and have certain players endorse their products.
If Ronaldo said a certain type of boot made him faster, you can expect that boot to be out of stock everywhere from people buying them up.
Advertisers are going to do as much marketing as possible, and a byproduct is soccer remaining highly popular in Europe.
Final Thoughts …
Hopefully you’ve found this article interesting and some of the reasons I’ve mentioned above were appealing to you …
… One more thing that I want to add, is that what has made Europe what it is today when it comes to Soccer popularity and success is Structure!
In other words, European clubs and organizations has matured enough to the point where they’ve figured out a complete structure that represents the blueprint of any talented player who wants to become a professional successful player in the future.
That is, everything is properly designed, all you have to do is work hard enough to grow as a player and become successful.
Finally, I highly encourage you to learn about why Brazil is by far the best in Soccer! You will find that really useful …