There are few sports that enjoy popularity across the globe. It goes without saying that soccer is the most recognized, watched, and played sport in the world today. Actually, the sport is called football in almost every country, except for Canada and the US. While its official name is association football, it was eventually shortened. There are huge differences in the way soccer and American football are played. Also, the latter is played with an oval ball, whereas the former uses a round one. The game of rugby also evolved from soccer, making the three sports rather confusing depending on where in the world you live.
　　Soccer has been traced back to more than 2,000 years ago in China. However, the sport has evolved significantly since then, with whistles replacing the handkerchiefs that referees once used to wave around. One thing that has always remained the same is that soccer players are among the fastest athletes in the world. Also, the average soccer player runs around 11 kilometers each game, and the strength of their kicks has been known to break bones. Namely, an Italian soccer player accidentally broke the arm of a spectator with his mighty shot.