Undoubtedly, football is the most popular sport in the world. Whether it’s the extravagant World Cup that costs billions or a local match between two schools or two neighborhoods in a remote village, people gather to watch.
Football is typically played for 90 minutes. If the outcome is not decided within that time—that is, if neither side has scored more goals, or if neither has managed to score—then the match is extended by another 30 minutes.
Even after that, if there is still no winner, the result is determined through a penalty shootout. The crowd bursts with excitement during competitive football matches.
People prefer to watch games between strong, evenly matched teams, and players themselves find greater joy in playing against tough opponents.
During the World Cup or major international matches, when Argentina faces Brazil or Germany faces Spain, people in Bangladesh stay up all night, hoist the flags of their favorite teams or countries, and eagerly watch the games with wide eyes glued to the TV screen.
Not only that, but people often get into arguments and even physical fights in the heat of supporting their teams. However, it’s noticeable that football matches between two unevenly matched teams lack excitement and are not enjoyable to watch.
Fans even consider watching them a waste of time. For example, in the UEFA Nations League, when France, Spain, or Portugal play against much smaller or weaker nations, or when Argentina or Brazil play against significantly weaker teams in the Copa América, those matches rarely catch anyone's attention—they are seen merely as formal competitions.
To make club-level football more competitive, millions of dollars are spent on hiring star players. Recently, the Saudi Arabian Football League has emerged prominently. Clubs like Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, and Al-Khaleej are spending massive amounts of money to recruit famous players from Europe, Africa, and South America.
Players are also eagerly joining these teams in large numbers. As these matches are highly competitive, excitement is spreading, and viewers around the world are tuning in to watch the Saudi League.
Football fans in Bangladesh are now staying up late to watch it as well. The reason behind this is competition. No one wants to score on an open field, and neither do spectators want to watch it—it brings no thrill or joy. Only competitive and intense victories are truly celebrated.
Since football is the most popular sport, we used it as an example. But in every sport, spectators crave competition. Even those who compete don’t want an easy field. In the United States, football is called "soccer."
But the sport they call "football" is quite similar to rugby, differing mainly in its rules. It is very popular in the United States and involves intense competition among different states.
One of the famous and popular players of this sport, Andrew Whitworth, once said, "If you are a true warrior, competition does not scare you. It makes you better."
We also believe that a competition or victory without real rivalry holds no true merit.
