Campo De Futebol

Since the dawn of time, humanity has always found a way to reconnect and build meeting points in dark times, places to escape and to isolate from the often too painful surrounding reality. Today, with Riccardo Iorio, sports journalist, we will take a deep dive into one of the most solid and beautiful realities in the world: soccer.

Annie Leibovitz shot for Louis Vuitton

Have you ever wondered why soccer is so famous globally?

"The simplest answer could be that now it's not difficult to find a TV in every corner of the world, tune in to some channel, and watch a game. Yet, I don't believe that's the main reason. Another reason could be the immense flow of money and sponsorships behind every single event and every single move of a team, but no; even this reason would be too easy and wouldn't do justice to this sport. Soccer is much more than just a sport; it's a true religion that knows no limits of space and time. Soccer has become famous for a very simple reason, as simple as the game itself: you just need to create two goals with anything, a ball - even made of rags - two, three, four, or twenty-two players and the game is on. Walking through the streets of every city in the world, you will always find someone playing soccer, even alone, even without a real ball but with a bottle or a can of Coca-Cola.”

It is well-known that soccer is a moment of meeting and exchange from a very young age already. The first journeys on foot from one place to another with team jerseys and football shoes: unforgettable afternoons for children who gathered from every neighborhood. Geography meant and means freedom. In that hour and a half, destinies unite and everyone is equal, in the name of the common goal that unites them: fun.

"In 1914, the world was devastated by the First World War, and since early December, prayers were made for a truce, but no one seemed to listen to these requests. On Christmas Eve - without any authorization - German, English, and French soldiers decided to temporarily abandon their weapons. They left the trenches and created a moment that will be imprinted in history: some of them decided to play a soccer game, or at least that's what they say, even though a true and official testimony is not possible to have. It's nice to think that, even if only for a day, soccer made the hostilities of the great war cease. After all, stopping suffering is the main goal of soccer. Think about the poor people: that's what they fed on in the past. Beating the opponent on the field, not considering him, is equivalent to not thinking about the problems of everyday life. The poverty of the Brazilian people is the representation of fundamental lacks: food, health, a home. A well-executed dribble is the illusion of a victory that may not even come because, in the continuation of the action, a goal must be scored to win. But for the Brazilians, for example, that dribble was enough, just as in life, solving a day is enough even if not definitively." It is undeniable, moreover, that especially in recent years, soccer has begun to transcend the "sport" field and has influenced music, fashion, and culture at 360 degrees. Just think of Bloke-core, which we have already talked about regarding fashion, or the influence of soccer players who inevitably become celebrities, giving positive examples to many young people of the new generations.

Hector Bellerin, whose style have gone viral on TikTok

"Soccer is full of examples of players who have literally united the entire world, and the Brazilian Pelé is a clear example of this. A phenomenon on the playing field but especially outside. Just think that when he went to Nigeria for a series of friendly matches, he stopped the war: a 48-hour armistice was signed with Biafra to allow everyone to go and see him. A soccer game is a moment of union of peoples and traditions. It's that moment when people - after a week of work or stress and worries - carve out an hour and a half just to watch 22 players running on the field and hope that their favorite team wins. Soccer, wherever it is played in the world, helps erase all cultural differences. It doesn't matter how much money you have in your bank account, the clothes you wear, or who you have next to you at the stadium: if the team you support scores a goal, everything else fades into the background, and it's a collective shout of a sea of people who, just like you, are waiting for that single moment. Soccer has also become redemption for many football talents in the tormented Africa - think of Koulibaly or Osimhen, Italian champions - who have built schools and hospitals for their hometowns with the proceeds from their contracts. Competitions, rankings, goals scored by the strongest players on the planet, television, and sponsors are just extras; soccer essentially is a ball, it's humans. And since these elements are valid globally, the most obvious consequence is that soccer is a neutral territory, a street game, a moment of escape, a safe haven. The world is falling apart and then we see monks playing soccer during their break from prayer, a group of boys playing in cities devastated by ruins, or a child playing alone in the courtyard of his house."

C. Garroni Parisi, in Marchi, 2007

So, the game of soccer is more than just a game: it's communion, it's annulment, it's exchange. It's seeking peace in those places where peace no longer exists. It's the little boy who goes out with his shoes tied around his neck, and the sister who steals his shirt because she's in love with Beckham and because the jersey matches her new Adidas. It's the father who comes home and brings takeaway pizza for the whole family, gathered to watch the game. It's the lone person who works and gathers at the bar with friends to watch it on the big screen. It's the mother whose children work far from home and listens to the game with headphones alongside the dog on the couch. Soccer was, is, and will be us: our unity regardless of differences.