For centuries, people have been playing kicking games with a ball. The game of soccer developed from some of these early games. The English probably gave soccer its name and its rules. In European countries, soccer is called football. Some people belive that the name "soccer" came from the high socks that the players wear.
Organized soccer games began in 1863. In soccer, two teams of eleven players try to kick or head the ball into the goal of other team. The goalkeeper, who tries to keep the ball out of the goal, is the only player on the field who can touch the ball with his or her hands. The others must use the feet, heads, and bodies to control the ball.
Every four years, soccer teams around the world compete for the World Cup. The World Cup competition started in 1930. Brazil is the home of many great soccer players, including the most famous football player of all time, Pele. With his fast dazzling speed, he played for many years in Brazil and then later in New York. People in more than 140 countries around the world play soccer. It is definitely the world's most popular sport!
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