Will Soccer Ever Be the Same?

As an avid soccer player and FIFA enthusiast, I can safely say soccer will continue to be one of the greatest sports in the world despite recent events.

Seven FIFA executives were arrested last month for charges that included bribery, wire fraud and money laundering. However, is there even more going on underneath the surface?

Essentially, those involved allegedly abused their positions by taking bribes and doing other very illegal things for their own personal benefit. This caused mass uproar, especially as it may have affected the decision to host the 2018 World Cup in Russia and, of particular suspicion, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Yet, throughout all the scandals that have been popping up along (now resigned) FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s career, he continued to deflect criticism.

For many of the countries involved, FIFA has gone from a source of pride to shame. Soccer is about teamwork, courage and sportsmanship. These qualities are evidently not shown in the actions of those executives involved, sadly enough.

But I personally do not think this will affect the future of soccer itself. Whoever you are, wherever you live, and no matter your age, gender or race, soccer is available for anyone to play; whether it's for a representative team, or if you're just kicking the ball around at your local park.

The sensation of the ball making contact with your boots, the smell of freshly mown grass on a cold winter morning and the feeling of joy and excitement after winning a tournament: these are among the reasons soccer will continue to be the world’s greatest game.

All in all, soccer really has nothing to do with the FIFA scandals. As a marvelously simple game, played by every one of all ages, it's in no danger of losing its history and popularity. All the issues regarding current scandals are not even based around soccer itself. It’s just unfortunate it’s been muddied by the corruption of the system surrounding it.

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