World peace may never exist. Despite that fact, there a few things the world can agree on, like sports.

This summer, South Africa hosted the 2010 World Cup where each of the 32 countries attending the worldwide tournament was in search of Gold Cup glory. The World Cup is the most-watched sporting event ever. With every nation’s vast population watching and supporting its team, how could anything else top it?

Only the world’s most popular sport can draw such attention, and that sport is soccer.

Though all sports are appreciated worldwide, no sport draws in such universal attention and participants as soccer.

Globally known as futbol or football, soccer, the sport may not be the most popular in individual countries.

For Americans, football reigns over futbol, as do baseball and basketball.

While the U.S. may poke around in foreign affairs, why not adopt soccer as its number one sport, as well? One word can answer that question: availability.

Availability of resources, both cultural and financial, is the factor that makes soccer popular outside of the United States.

The necessary resources to play other sports may not be as abundant in other countries as they are in the U.S. In order to play any sport, countries need specific resources, such as equipment, space, time and money or a source of funding.

As the U.S. is a global power that reigns in the economic ranks around the world, many other countries are not as fortunate.

“It’s a poor sport (you don’t need much to play it). The majority of other countries are not as rich, so soccer is pretty universal in a fiscal aspect, at least,” says Cerritos College student Alex Salcedo.

While other countries have, and most certainly will continue to enjoy the 90-minute matches and spectacular goals, the U.S. may not jump on the bandwagon as America’s pastime(s) continue to collect numbers all over the nation. Is there hope for soccer in the U.S.?

Only time will tell, but time is money.