BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — As soccer fans gear up to cheer on their favorite teams in a major international tournament, the sport’s worldwide reach is again in the spotlight — along with the question of what made it such a global phenomenon and built such a strong fan base.
Dr. Stephen Allen, a California State University, Bakersfield professor of history, said soccer’s popularity is rooted in how accessible it is to play.
“The game is easily transferable. All you really need is a ball. And so I think that helps people play it. They experience it, and then when they watch it, and they watch other countries, they can identify with it,” Allen said.
Soccer became global largely through the influence of the British Empire in the 1800s. Allen said the sport continued to grow through immigration, especially in countries like Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.
With simple rules and little equipment needed to play, the sport spread across cultures and countries, creating fan bases around the world.
Allen said fandom can also be driven by an emotional connection between players and supporters. “An anthropologist talks about this emotional contract of joy. And so the athletes on the field and the fans expect to share in their joy,” he said.
Allen said soccer teams often become symbols of national identity, pointing to Mexico as an example.
“I would say Mexico. People may have different opinions of the Mexican government, but when you see Mexican fans in L.A. or in Mexico City, they will bring out the tricolor or the bandera, right? And they will wave that,” Allen said.
In Bakersfield, fans Julian and Salvador Zepeda said their support is tied to that sense of identity and tradition. Julian Zepeda said, “I’m cheering for Mexico.”
Salvador Zepeda, speaking in a translated interview, said, “Since I was a little kid, it’s like it’s in your blood to play soccer.”
Allen said soccer fandom can grow through generations in some cases, while in others it is shaped by politics or economics. Regardless of how it starts, he said the sport’s even playing field and the shared experiences it creates are what make it a truly global game.