Why is football the global game?

In our latest instalment of the Have Your Say series, FIFA.com wants to know what you think makes football such a universal endeavour.

The idea that football is the world's game is more than mere cliché. No matter where you travel on this blue-green dot called Earth, you will see a football jersey on a youngster in the street, hear an animated discussion about the pros and cons of the five-man midfield in a cafe or pub, and see fans thronging to watch the local team purvey their version of the beautiful game.

FIFA.com wants to know why you think the game of football has such all-pervasive and global appeal. Is football the language of the common people? Does it offer an outlet that transcends the drudgery of day-to-day life from Accra to Zaragoza by way of China and Canada?

Why is it that people from all over the world, of differing and divergent political, religious and social affiliations, can always come together in their enjoyment of what has been dubbed 'the people's game'?

Is it the artistic and aesthetic qualities of football, the athleticism, the simplicity or the accessibility of the game that makes it one of the true universal elements in a world torn into small fragments by divergent forces?

Mexico icon Hugo Sanchez once said that "whoever invented football should be worshipped as a god," while English writer George Orwell called it "merely mock warfare". Bill Shankly famously implied it was more important than "life or death." Now it's your turn to offer your take on the global nature of football, something everyone seems to have an opinion about.

Remembering to keep your posts clean, respectful and in English, please click 'Add Your Comment' to let us know what you think makes football's appeal so universal.