When it comes to things that impact the world socially and politically soccer is not one that comes to mind. A few times when soccer has impacted the world during times of great historical impact was in the 1930s during World War l, the 1940s during World War ll and the 1970s during the Cold War. Soccer had a great impact on people’s lives socially, it gave people hope when in times of need. It didn’t matter if war was going on, soccer was a popular activity to help people survive and keep hope in the hardest of times.
Soccer is a passionate sport with equally passionate fans. Soccer creates waves of nationalism, especially through countries’ national teams. It brings nations together to support their teams. There are often riots during soccer games especially with big rivalries. One example of a long-known rivalry is Germany and England. This particular rivalry extended much further from the field in the form of war. “It was the fate of the English national team to be pitched against the Germans in a number of important football matches, never more so for course than the World Cup Final of 1966.” The rivalry during this match was made even more intense from World War II. The right to the trophy wasn’t the only prize, but also the opportunity to prove their superiority over the other. Every person from the players to the fans to the coaching staff felt the bigger meaning behind the game. Many Englishmen were impartial to the end result of the World Cup as long as England did not lose to Germany. Even though the Second World War was in the 1940s, the rivalry continues to this day. In the 2001 World Cup qualifier, England defeated Germany 5-1 in Germany. Walvin says, “The 5-1 England win in Munich in a World Cup qualifier was, far any English fan, a delicious sporting moment.” This game was a morale booster in England and a wave of nationalism spread over the country. This example shows how soccer can have an impact on people socially and bring a country together.
In 1969, Honduras and Salvador were scheduled to play a World Cup qualifier. With only the winner gaining the opportunity to play in the World Cup, games do not get much bigger. Everyone in the countries felt the magnitude of the game from the players, to the coaches, to an entire country of fans. During the second game, hostility broke out which led to the government disarming its own citizens. Hostilities continued to grow until eventually both countries mobilized their air forces and militaries. While war is not usually fought over just one reason, many believe that “the Football War” was fought over that game.
Politically, soccer had a great impact on the world as well. Many countries used soccer matches to show how powerful they are and prove that they’re better than another country. Whether it was friendly competitions or ones with high stakes, these matches held great magnitude. While not usually first thought of, soccer’s impact on the world is well documented throughout history. All sports bring a sense of nationalism, but soccer is much more effective due to the heavy international play and it being the most watched sport in the world. While America doesn’t get the ‘soccer craze’ as much, it is felt across the world. “Although soccer boomed in the 1920s, in the 1930s it swept all before it as the most popular game throughout most of Europe and South America” (Murray 62). In fact, soccer was so popular it took a role in many countries’ politics. Former prime minister of Italy, Mussolini, saw this and used it to his advantage in politics. In 1934, the World Cup was hosted by Italy and due to its popularity, Mussolini took advantage. He had complete power over not just the government but also what his citizens do. In order to gain more support for his regime, he used soccer as a demonstration of Italy’s power to the rest of the world. What better way to gain support for the government than by using the world’s most popular game? The entire nation felt the excitement and nationalism. In the 1936 Olympics Austria and Peru was matched up. The game ended with Peru winning 4-2 in overtime. There was much controversy during the game when Peruvian fans invaded the field which apparently took the Austrians off their game. A rematch was eventually called due to the invasion. When the Peruvians caught word of this rematch, they began to riot which resulted in the stoning of the German embassy in Lima. This feud extended all the way to diplomatic relations with Peru refusing to assist German ships. All because of a soccer game two countries not just resented each other but wanted nothing to do with each other both politically and socially.
During World War I international competition suffered due to the on-going war. “Only four nations outside Latin America played any international fixtures during the war…” (GoldBlatt 235). A truce was called on Christmas Day between all parties. During this brief reprieve from the war soccer was very much present. During the war the area between the front line was called no-man’s land. During Christmas the English soldiers organized soccer games in this area of land. “Thousands of balls were sent to the front for this purpose, from Britain and France but also from Germany” (Murray 43). In that short break from war the armies turned to soccer for their brief moments of solace. The sport was present in even the darkest of times to bring feelings of hope and happiness.
While World War I obviously had a significant impact on everything in the world, one thing that was affected that isn’t thought of with much significance politically was The International Federation of Association Football also known as FIFA. FIFA controls all games played between countries. After World War I concluded, one of the punishments Austria and Germany were granted was their dismissal from the league. This was held with such significance among governments that Britain wanted even more punishment, however FIFA disagreed. Even with the expulsion of Germany and Austria, many countries joined FIFA including Portugal, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Romania, and Greece. In the Americas, before the war the only country north of Argentina that participated in international competition was the U.S. After, many other countries joined including but not limited to Mexico, Canada, Panama, Costa Rica, Haiti, Guatemala, and Cuba. Many middle eastern countries also joined FIFA including Syria. All these new countries joining demonstrated a new sense of unity among the world’s countries after a period of great conflict and separation. The majority of these countries were not yet independent, yet they were able to show their independence through soccer. FIFA allowed them to join each as their own individual country creating a sense of nationalism in places not yet recognized internationally as such.
Just like during World War I, there was limited international competition during World War II especially including the countries participating in the war. While many neutral nations attempted to keep soccer going, with the major countries fighting attention to soccer waned. Even without as much attention the neutral countries still kept on playing while the fighting countries stopped. The German government commissioner Artur Von Seyss-Inquart is quoted, “The half million or so Dutchmen working in German labor camps and factories played their own competitions…” (Goldblatt 326). Just like in the previous World War, the game was used not just as a distraction from the war but also as a form of hope and continued relations between countries.
One of the few games between major countries, Germany played Sweden in Berlin and lost 3-2 in 1942. The German Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Martin Luther said, “100,000 have left the stadium depressed; and because victory in this football match is closer to these people’s hearts that the capture of a city in the East…” (Goldblatt 4). To the people they saw this game as more important than the war. Now not only had Germany been losing the war, now they lost on their own home soil. There is much pride in a soccer match, in the fans, players, coaches, or anyone else involved in the sport. The game was not just embarrassing but also demoralizing for the Germans. This game was unusual because Germany (an obvious member of the Second World War) was still playing soccer. Germany still spent time training their soccer team, even though they were a major force in the war. This shows the importance of soccer in a nation, even though there is a World War occurring Germany still saw some type of importance in this game.
The politics of the Cold War was reflected in the game of soccer. When Germany split into West Germany and East Germany the national teams also reflected that. The 1974 World Cup was hosted by West Germany. A major twist in the tournament was when both East Germany and West Germany were put in the same group. Two countries who were once one now had to face each other. East Germany went on to beat West Germany 1-0 after Erich Hammon scored with little time left. However, West Germany had the big win beating the Netherlands to win the whole World Cup. The two teams can be compared to the ideologies in the Cold War. The communist East Germany beat the Democratic West Germany in the first game, but West Germany won the whole cup. While not in the same light, these competitions took on the same meaning as the Cold War, with communism winning at first through the communist East Germany, then democracy winning in the end through the democratic West Germany.
Soccer has had a significant impact on our world as a whole. It has brought nations together while also being used as a tool to make political statements. The sport has been a constant in this world both used for enjoyment and competition.