To some, it’s just a silly little game where

22 players run around trying to kick a ball into a net.

But for a faithful group of fans, the FIFA

World Cup is the juggernaut of all sporting events.

“[The World Cup] is like the Super Bowl every

day for a month,” said Todd Claiborne, senior in hotel, restaurant

and institution management. “That’s the kind of build-up. It’s just

constant craziness.”

Every four years, millions of loyal fans

around the world gather together in a cramped stadium, sports bar

or living room to enjoy what most believe is some of the most

hard-fought 90 minutes in all of sports.

All of this happens in what most sports fans

consider the most intense 30 days of the summer.

“Soccer is easily one of the most intense

sports out there,” said Dave Godfrey, senior in computer science.

“It’s not slow, it’s fast-paced with a lot of energy and a lot of

emotion.”

But for all the fans that gather to watch this

event together, it’s about more than just 32 countries playing

soccer against one another.

It’s about unity. It’s about expressing a

mutual love for the game that brings people together for 30 days

every four years.

“It’s great to see how much support it’s

getting in America,” Godfrey said. “It is one of those spectacular

events that take place and it should get as much coverage as the

Olympics or the Super Bowl.”

Simply put, it does what all the politicians,

royalty and ambassadors cannot.

Sure, there can be fights, arguments and

shouting over the result of certain matches — fans will be

fans.

But when you sit down and you watch a match

with such a diverse group of people, you will see a mutual respect

that you probably would not find between New York Yankees and

Boston Red Sox fans, Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics fans or

even Iowa and ISU fans.

It could be because the fans realize the World

Cup is more than just a series of games.

Even a group of fans at a bar agree it is not

about the drinking, it’s all about the soccer.

“[When you’re at the bar] it’s not so much

about the drinking, but more about the group celebration,”

Claiborne said. “Now, it’s starting to get bigger in the U.S., and

people who don’t know much about soccer will watch this year.”

So who will win it all this year? Experts and

fans agree Spain is the clear favorite to win the tournament.

“Spain is usually good, but the Netherlands is

sort of the long shot this year,” Claiborne said. “A lot of people

don’t have [the Netherlands] as the pick, that’s just one of the

clubs I’ve been following. But Spain is more of the big-marquee

international star; sort of like the Yankees of soccer.”

Despite Spain being favored to win the 2010

World Cup, fans will no doubt be cheering for good games from all

teams around the globe.

But after the tournament begins this weekend,

fans of soccer will once again take notice of the tournament that

is not only about the games but the countries as well.