Regardless of whether you call it soccer, football, futball, or fußball, the terminology is all understood throughout the world. There are so many ways of calling soccer by a certain name but there is only one true way of playing the "beautiful game." Passion, sweat, love, appreciation, dedication, hardship and triumph are all shared between the players and fans of the sport. The universal language of "football" is essentially understood all over the world. You see a captain suffering for his team's loss and you feel the suffering. You see a team score a winning goal to put them into the World Cup and you get goosebumps.

Soccer is unlike any other sport. It's unlike baseball, basketball and American football. Although those sports may have become globalized and admired by fans all over the world, the love for them isn't as apparent as the love the world has for soccer.

The universal symbol of the soccer ball has become a symbol of love and passion. Passing the soccer ball around on the streets or on a field has essentially become the desire of everyone, rich or poor. From the poor children playing in the Brazilian favelas without shoes but with a ball made out of scraps, to the rich son of a world-star player who is able to afford the best cleats and balls.

The rich can afford to get the newest soccer jersey every season with their favorite player's name on the back, while the poor write the name and number of their favorite player on their backs. Everyone, regardless of class, loves the universal language of soccer and money becomes the least important thing when you are playing with a ball on your feet.

The NBA finals may have thousands of viewers, the Superbowl may have hundreds of thousands of viewers, but the World Cup finals have millions and almost billions of viewers. People all over the world tune in to watch the beautiful leagues of England, Spain, and Italy. People argue over the games all over the world in hundreds of different languages.

Fans travel from all over the world to follow their teams. Fans stand through the heat of the summer and the arctic cold of the winter snow to watch their teams perform in the grandest stage of them all.

When a team loses, the world of soccer doesn't celebrate. Rather, they sympathize and cry with the teams.

The beautiful game isn't about the winner. It's about the respect. At the end of a game in any sport, the winners celebrate while the losers feel angry or upset because of their loss. The difference from soccer and the rest of the sports is that the winners come together with the losers, fans, and players. This can be seen when players exchange their jerseys at the end of a game and give their "rivals" a warm hug.

Soccer is the only sport that is recognized in every country in the world. Although basketball is making its way into the globalized world, it will never be able to compete with the power and love that soccer has. People love soccer and people speak through it. Not only has the sport become a symbol of love, but it has become a universal language and connection for the whole world.