Whether you liked it or not, soccer was the craze this summer in the U.S. 

Well, everywhere, actually.

As I hope you are all aware, the FIFA World Cup took place in my home country, Brazil, from June 12 through July 13. Yes, I know, the Germans might as well have eaten Bratwurst at halftime to spare us some embarrassment by the final whistle. Brazil’s side was inexperienced and disorganized, while the German squad displayed elegance and creativity throughout the tournament’s entirety.   

That is in the past, though. We are (mostly) over it and are eager to revamp our gameplay to redeem ourselves in Russia come 2018.

Keep in mind, though, that there is more to soccer than the World Cup. In fact, the British Premier League kicked off last Sunday, with Manchester United falling to Swansea City in this year’s inaugurating match. Since that may have sounded like Swahili to you, that simply means there are many leagues with many teams playing many soccer games around the world. 

I mean no disrespect – it’s just that soccer hasn’t caught on in the States quite yet, which is a bit flabbergasting. 

Soccer is renowned for being the ‘poor man’s sport’ because the only equipment you need is, well, a ball. Goal posts are a plus, but a pair of flip-flops or some rocks will work equally as well. American Football, on the other hand, requires expensive padding and helmets, while baseball is virtually unplayable without one of those nice leather gloves and a shiny bat. 

And, with about 47 million Americans currently sitting below the poverty line, I’m puzzled that ‘first-downs’ and ‘no-hitters’ take precedence over ‘elasticos’ and ‘ribonas.’ Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying that soccer deserves more merit just because it’s easily financeable. 

It indisputably does deserve more merit for another reason. 

It is the World's Only Universal Language

Coming from someone who travels a fair bit, the idea of a universal language is like finding a gorgeously iced case of Natty Light in the middle of the desert. Yes, it is true that more and more countries are adopting English as a second national language (and in the case of recently developed financial powerhouses like Singapore, a primary language), but you wouldn’t believe how many people don’t have the money, or simply don’t care enough, to learn a few phrases in this ‘global’ language of ours. 

To give you an idea, I squandered about twenty minutes last week trying to cancel an order of noodles at a resort in one of Thailand’s most popular tourist destinations, Phuket. On a more absurd note, my Brazilian cousins (most of whom have absolutely no intention of leaving the country any time soon) mock my brother and me for communicating in English amongst ourselves. 

Preposterous, you say? I hate to break it to you, but this is what the 21st century looks like outside of the land of the free and the home of the brave. 

You must be wondering what any of this has to do with soccer. Well, my friends, soccer is accomplishing exactly what the English language has failed to do: provide a universal means of communication and, in turn, create a global community. 

If you lock a 45-year-old Bolivian, a 9-year-old Swede and a 25-year-old Scotsman in the same room for 15 minutes, I’d be willing to bet my savings (granted that’s not much of a bet) that they don’t leave as best pals, or pals at all, for that matter. But, if you put them on a field and give them a soccer ball, you could have just created a little, multicultural family. 

That’s precisely what this magical sport does – it creates global families. I once traveled to Beni Kola, Morocco on a service trip without speaking a word of Arabic – as for my French, I can explain that ‘my name is Arthur and I like cheese omelets’, so that wasn’t much help either. Although my host family and I communicated mostly with physical gestures, we became quite close after an unexpected occurrence.

Mohammed, my host father, took me to his cousin’s house on a blisteringly cold night to watch Morocco play Tunisia in a qualifying match for the African Cup. Had I ever watched an African Cup match before that night? Nope, nor had I ever heard of it. But, there we were, a group of five Moroccan men and one Brazilian teenager, huddled around a small TV, cheering, screaming and laughing. 

Although their English was about as good as my French, soccer was more than enough of a common tongue for us to bond over. We erupted when Morocco attacked and booed when Tunisia reciprocated – it was like I was watching Brazil play with my own family. 

Needless to say, soccer was the nucleus that not only gave rise to a memorable night, but also united two distinct cultures into one. 

Soccer is not just a sport – it is a language, a culture, a religion. An estimated seven million tourists traveled to Brazil to support their home countries in this past World Cup; roughly the same number of people inhabit New York City. I cannot think of a single other activity, let alone sport, that can unite a country as much as this. Can you? 

Sorry America, but you’re falling behind. If you truly strive to be global citizens and flourish in a multinational environment, then I suggest you put the old pigskin in the closet and buy yourself a pair of Nike Tiempos. 

Hurry now, the next World Cup is in less than four years – the clock is ticking.