This past Sunday, a great summer of soccer has come to an unpredicted and rewarding end. Now, I know I know, speaking of the beautiful game in the States is more often than not a waste of breath (or in this case, pixels), but this is my article and I get to waste my time however I choose, so there. Sunday saw the final of the Euro 2016 between Portugal and France, in which (spoiler alert!) Portugal took home the cup. And two weeks prior, the Copa America wrapped up in a penalty kick shootout and with the triumph of Chile over Argentina.

But beneath these results, there are far richer backstories. If you didn't follow international soccer league results, you wouldn't know that this is the second year in a row Chile has defeated Argentina in the Copa America final in a shootout. Also, you wouldn't be able to understand the decision Lionel Messi made to retire from international play after his penalty kick flop, if you didn't know about his godfather, Diego Maradona's, glorious career with Argentina, which includes a World Cup.

Messi's Argentina has now gone 23 years without a major tournament title. Similarly, the Euro results are even better when you learn more about the players and the teams involved in the final. Few suspected Portugal would be able to claim the title after finishing third in their group. I'm sure everyone has heard of Cristiano Ronaldo, but few know that before last Sunday, Portugal had never claimed a major international title, perhaps mirroring their gradual slide in economic and political influence since the 16th century.

Antoine Griezmann, a far less familiar face than Ronaldo, but equal in structural beauty, was a crucial part of the French line up. Griezmann and Ronaldo have history playing one another. Griezmann's club, Atletico Madrid, lost the UEFA Champions League title to Ronaldo's Real Madrid this season. These hidden connections give the game a depth that no other sport could possibly match, because no other sport is so universal.

But not to alienate fans that don't follow results so ardently, the beauty of the game can be appreciated whether you've followed it your entire life or only get the Spanish channel for sports. Watching players like Messi or Diego Maradona streak down the field with the ball at their feet avoiding droves of defenders, and springing free just in time to get a shot off to the far post, provokes similar feelings as watching an artist create a masterpiece.

There are so many ways to play soccer. The ball can be danced upon and moved down the field to goal, like a river deposits a log into an eddy (the Brazilian team circa 2002), or it can be methodically passed from one sideline to the other, as the Germans do in attempts to exploit holes in the opposing defense. Keepers can make last-minute clutch saves that deny the game-winning goal, forwards can brilliantly execute picture-perfect finishes, defenders can deliver crippling tackles, midfielders can deliver a ball to the waiting foot of a teammate from 35 yards away and refs can alter the entire momentum of a game with just the blast of a whistle. The beauty that a soccer match provides is always changing and entirely unpredictable.

So here's to many more seasons of beautifully placed balls and well-timed attacks, of surprise upsets and unusual results, of fast footwork and even faster hands. To the beautiful game and the unity it creates.