Does football promote freindship or enmity Essay

Does football promote freindship or enmity - Essay Example Apparently, most soccer fans prefer watching matches in social places such as clubs, restaurants or at home as long as they are in the company of people who have interest in soccer. Consequently, a bond is created between these people, who may be strangers, since they will have a common topic for discussion throughout the 90 minutes. In this context, it is true to say that football facilitates and enhances the creation of friendships between strangers however short lived they might be (Foer 39). Similarly, football promotes friendship in terms of suppressing racial mentalities that promote discrimination. The world cup for example sets an international stage for teams from different countries, some of which have been in conflict with each other for a long time due to political or ideological differences. Whenever these teams are playing, the people watching get to forget their differences, especially due to the fact that there are high standards set for officiating matches such that every participant feels comfortable with the results. This is made better by the display of sportsmanship by footballers whereby they shake hands even after one of them has committed a foul against the other. By doing so, they portray a high level of emotional intelligence which becomes a good example for those who are watching.