By: Lily Elias
It is into this complex, often darkly , funny nexus of soccer's traditional role as a metaphor for national and ethnic warfare and the forces of globalization that are changing the face of the game that New Republic writer Franklin Foer describes in his new book, "How Soccer Explains the World". It's a compelling and ambitious project that seeks to chart the impact of the crashing waves of globalization on the traditional tribal barriers that have long defined the culture of soccer.
Football is more than just a sport almost everywhere in South America. Brazilian scholars, Ricardo dos Santos and Francisco Texiera, describe football as “the secular religion of this era with all its myths, rules, and received heroes,” especially in their home country. I guess you could say Brazilians are known to be a little “crazy” with their football obsession — but then again, maybe Americans are just a little too apathetic with regard to the world’s sport. Upon further inspection, Brazil is not alone in seeming “crazy” when it comes to its worship of football. In Rosario, Argentina, if any of the infinite Christian churches don’t suit your fancy, you can always stop for a quick prayer at the Iglesia Maradoniana-- which is, you guessed it, an entire church denomination dedicated to football legend Diego Maradona.
Soccer arrived in Latin America in the late 1800s with a large influx of Europeans and since then has exploded in popularity, dominating as the most popular sport (by a large margin) in almost all Latin American countries. Soccer started as a sport played mainly by affluent Europeans, but quickly spread throughout the culture-- its low barrier of entry allowing for people of all socioeconomic classes to play. .
Latin America has had a long, complex history of race and class issues that have divided people. In many ways, soccer has become intertwined with Latin American culture as it has acted as a common interest for people of all races, origins, and cultures in Latin America bridging gaps and prejudices that are commonplace in countries such as Brazil and Argentina. Because of this power, soccer has acted as almost a religion, or major cultural component, that people from all over Latin America can come together over.
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