How Soccer Explains the World

In the article “From How Soccer Explains the World: An unlikely Theory of Globalization” by Franklin Foer, the author tries to distinguish the similarities between soccer and globalization. The author begins the article by writing about the “soccer boom” and how it affected him as a young child. He states that soccer was more than just a game; it was a sport that taught self-esteem and life lessons, or at least that it was the parents of the 60s thought. He then continues to write about how soccer soon became the sport that was being taken over by the richer families in the nation. This happened during the “culture war” and some people were getting angry that the elites were making soccer into something other than a popular pastime. He writes about the different outlooks on soccer around the world. I understand how this relates to globalization because it is a sport that is played everywhere. He mentions the World Cup, which also involves the different nations around the world. Next, he talks poorly of the soccer fans and calls them “snobbish”. After reading this article I am not sure how the subject of soccer relates to globalization. It talks more about the negative aspects of the game rather than talking about how it affect the world and what it has in common with the other countries. I was very confused by this article.