Every four years, the world watches to see who will be the champion of soccer, the most widely played sport in the world. Although preparation begins immediately after the last cup is awarded, for one month, tournaments are won and lost until two teams remain. The only sporting event similar to the World Cup is the Olympic Games…
Spain won the World Cup in 2010 with some great results that has affected the country in many positive ways. Spain is enjoying well-deserved fame and glory and it will be interesting to see how the win will affect Spain in the next couple of years.
The FIFA World Cup, also called the Soccer World Cup or the Football World Cup, is a competition between the members of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Every four years, beginning in 1930, the championship has been awarded, with the exception of 1942 and 1946 because of the Second World War.
The very first international football match was held in Glasgow in 1872 between England and Scotland. At this time, soccer was mostly played within the United Kingdom. However, as soccer grew more popular with other countries, it was obvious it needed to be an official competitive sport. At first, it was worked into the Olympics, but due to differences of opinions and rules, soccer was finally given its own tournament.
In the years between 1934 and 1978, there were 16 teams that competed in the competition. The only exceptions were in 1938 when Austria became part of Germany and in 1950 when Turkey, India and Scotland withdrew from the competition. During these early years, it was most difficult for the teams to travel and so many countries did not participate. In 1982, however, the number of teams increased to 24 and again n 1998, the number of teams was increased to 32.
Until 1998, the host of the event has alternated between the Americas and Europe. However, in 2002, the hosting was done by South Korea and Japan together. South Africa hosted the event in 2010 and Brazil will be hosting the 2014 tournament. Only three teams have won the World Cup outside of their continental confederation: Brazil in 1958, 1970, 1994 and 2002, Argentina in 1986 and Spain in 2010.
Winning the World Cup this year was quite a surprise for a country that has had its share of struggles. Because of the hype surrounding this year’s event, the country was thrown into a whirl of romance, patriotism and homeland security; unlike they have known for quite a few years. Spain has felt a great surge of confidence due to this win that will help mend some of the difficulties and help Spain to keep feeling the pride it has always maintained.
Spanish athletes have risen to the top of many charts in the sports world. No longer playing in dirt fields, the country has finally had a chance to compete head-on with other athletes and prove their strength. From basketball to tennis to biking, Spain has proven her ability to not only compete, but win, against the rest of the world when given the opportunity.
Financially, Spain can only benefit from this win. Besides the large amounts of money won from the World Cup, winning the cup can only mean more publicity for the country, team and sport. All of this will boost the economy and more people will become interested in moving to the New Spain. With hope for a brighter future, more businesses will prosper and people will be more willing to put their financial hopes in the country. Their recent recession has put 20% of the population in the unemployment line. Winning the World Cup will hopefully boost spending and give people hope for the future of their beloved country.
Of course, along with winning the World Cup there is world prestige like none other. National pride increases, along with patriotism and world recognition. The better a country feels about itself, the more people are drawn to it and will want to be a part of it. The county has experienced a great influx of immigrants in recent years, raising the percentage of foreigners to 11% of the total population. This is not a common event in Spain and proves that Spain is becoming a more diverse country, accepting of people from other countries and cultures. Ethnicity is becoming less of an issue here, which is resulting in more people moving into the country and feeling a part of it.
Winning the FIFA World Cup is an honor that Spain will be able to claim for the next four years. During that time, Spain and other countries will be gearing up for the tournament to be held in 2014. The amount of effort, time and energy put into preparing for the event is phenomenal and yet, it’s worth it to receive the championship, both for the team and country that was represented. Spain worked hard and they deserved to win. Their country will certainly reap the benefits of their hard work and sportsmanship.