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Ready for some “fútbol?”
If you asked anyone in any of the Spanish-speaking countries of the world what the national sport of their country was, you would most likely hear the reply, “¡El fútbol!” If you asked someone in the United States that same question, the answer would probably be, “Football!” As you know, these two answers sound very similar, but they sure don’t mean the same thing. Soccer, or el fútbol, has always been the favorite sport in the Hispanic world (although baseball is also very popular in the Caribbean countries), while American football has always reigned as king in the United States.
Soccer’s popularity in the United States has grown significantly. Currently, there are about twenty-two professional soccer teams in the United States. These teams regularly draw crowds of tens of thousands of fans to games played across the nation. The United States’ men’s and women’s teams have even surprised many with their outstanding performances in the World Cup championships that take place every four years. Given all of this new attention, some people have suggested that el fútbol could become as popular in the United States as football. Others doubt that this will happen. The answer is still uncertain, but what is clear is that soccer continues to gain more fans each year. Can anyone say, ¡Gol!?
Share What You know:
1. The article mentions the World Cup championship. Do you know how the United States’ men’s team did in the 2014 FIFA World Cup that took place in June and July of 2014 in Brazil? Do you know how the United States’ women’s team did in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada? Do you know what teams they played? If you’re not sure, strike up a conversation in Spanish with some of your classmates to ask them what they know about this.
2. Have you ever been to a professional soccer game? If so, share your experience with the class. In your opinion, was it as exciting as a football game? Even if you haven’t ever attended a professional game, you may have attended a high school soccer game. If not, perhaps you could attend one. You might be fascinated!
3. Can you name any famous soccer players? Are they still playing today? What countries are they from?
4. You probably remember learning some vocabulary in Spanish related to soccer. If so, get together with some of your classmates and play a little soccer as you teach them in Spanish about the game.