The United States is the only place that uses primarily the word “Soccer” to differentiate the sport from what in the country is known as Football, which is American Football. And while American football is the most popular sport in America, football (aka soccer) is the world's most popular sport. The FIFA World Cup, held every 4 years, is the world's most popular sporting event with viewership numbers that exceed those of the Olympics.

Brazilian footballer Pelé (only 3-time winner of the World Cup and considered the greatest player ever) is credited with making the phrase synonymous with football. In 1977, he named his autobiography My Life and the Beautiful Game. The book's dedication reads "I dedicate this book to all the people who have made this great game the Beautiful Game." The Beautiful Game (Portuguese: o jogo bonito) is a nickname widely used by the media especially in Brazil, who was host of the 2014 World Cup. In a country where only the Catholic Church can rival the sport in popularity, football and beauty are a natural pair. For your average Brazilian connoisseur, football is not just an effort to put a ball into a net. It has, at its pinnacle, an aesthetic dimension – it is not just a game, but an art.

Despite it being the most popular sport with an estimated 3 billion fans, in the end, what makes football so special is its ability to pull in people from all walks of life, throw them together, and end up with a universally positive experience.