No matter where you go in the world, sport will always play a major part in everyday life, whether you play a sport yourself, or simply watch from the sidelines. While it’s easy to see there are some sports that are largely associated with specific countries, it may surprise you to know that many countries have established their own national sports, as defined by law – or de jure. In 1994, the Canadian government passed a law to state that lacrosse would be their national sport in the summer, while ice hockey would take over the baton – or puck – in the winter months.
Yet, there are also other countries that have chosen their national sport de facto – meaning, by what the existing reality on the field. This means that while they have not passed any laws declaring this or that to be their national sport, it has become so popular among its people that it is commonly seen as the national sport. Such is the case in the UK, where football – commonly referred to as “soccer” outside of Britain – has bested cricket and is seen as the ultimate sport by a great many of its population.
Across the world, there are various different forms of football. Americans have their gridiron football, Ireland has their Gaelic football, and Australia has their Australian rules football – but the concepts are all incredibly similar. While it may seem like this modern form of football is a relatively new addition to our world, research suggests that football dates back as far as the Ancient Greeks and Romans. Indeed, many experts suggest that when these guys weren’t having chariot races or taking a dip in Roman baths, they played various ball games. However, it wasn’t until the Han dynasty during the 2nd and 3rd Centuries B.C.E. that we were introduced to the first FIFA-recognized game of football. Since then, football has come on leaps and bounds to become the fully-fledged sport we know today, complete with state-of-the-art footballs, goal-line technology, impressive seating arrangements, and perfectly manicured pitches.
Nowadays, thousands of people across the UK adorn their houses and their bodies with the colours of their favourite teams, they flock in their numbers to attend both home and away matches, and they even fork out to watch the sports channels on their television. One of the main reasons for this somewhat obsession is the fact that the world is now full of epic professional football players who impress us, anger us, and make us cry with joy and sadness every time they enter the pitch. As ambassadors for this sport, these guys are heavily compensated for their training and their place within their teams – which means they have some pretty impressive net worths. If you’ve ever wondered the net worth of some of the best footballers in the world, you just need to check out this list…
[post_page_title]Luis Suarez – £31 million[/post_page_title]
No matter which team you support, it’s hard to deny the fact that Luis Suarez is one of the most impressive footballers in the world – although he definitely has a bite to him. While he normally dons his maroon and blue shirt to play for FC Barcelona, this Uruguayan native also plays for the Uruguay national team. With a whopping 400 goals to his name, Luis Suarez has had the pleasure of winning an impressive 14 trophies over the course of his career. With all of that in mind, it should come as no surprise to know that Luis Suarez isn’t searching his sofa for spare change. Instead, his net worth is £31 million! That’ll do.
