As you all know Euro 2012 is being played this month with some of the best soccer players in the world. Those stars didn't become stars just like that, most of them started playing as young kids out on the streets, or in their local field. I truly believe that soccer is probably one of the only things in the world that is 100% international, 100% border-less. All you need is a ball, thats all. Unlike any other sport out there, you can play soccer anywhere you can just imagine. No need for equipment, no need for specific type of court. This is why I so enjoy seeing pictures of kids playing soccer around the world - from Spain to Syria, from Namibia to Bosnia. It brings joy to the wealthy as well as the poor. Check out this big collection of images taken around the globe showing exactly that!
Photo: Samer M.
Photo: Nattu.
Photo: Island-Life.
Photo: Alex France.
Photo: Lucas Ninno.
Photo: Siddharth Sharma.
Photo: CHILDREN AT RISK FOUNDATION - CARF Brazil.
Photo: Bert Stephani.
Photo: SMYL.
Photo: Filippo.
Photo: Reyner Araújo.
Photo: Franck Michel.
Photo: Brandon Lidgard.
Photo: Rose Renteria.
Photo: Diogo Pedro.
Photo: fotambulo.
Photo: Tomasz Szustek.
Photo: Marcelo Argolo.
Photo: Luca Marella.
Photo: Lucas Ninno.
Photo: Jeison Spaniol.
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It's called football. You americans... ;P And you don't even need ball to play it. As kids we played football with cans or with rolled paper.
It sometimes gets to me too, lol. I mean, everybody else calls it football. Why do Americans insist on using the name "football" for a sport where people run around with an over-sized lemon in their hands ?
Soccer is a abbreviation for the "Football Association" from assoc. Not sure how that turned into soccer but it did.
One more:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/luisvieira/120243574/
There are some fantastic shots here, thanks for this very timely post.