The lowdown on the world's best The quadrennial, month-long carnival that is the FIFA World Cup? finals is not just about the football, just as football itself is so much more than just '22 hirelings kicking a leather ball', as was once famously suggested. From the tens of thousands of visiting fans to the hard-working volunteers, many factors conspire to make the FIFA World Cup a spectacle without peer in the world of organised sport. However, one thing is certain: without the players, 736 footballers from 32 different nations spread over six continents, nothing else would really matter. Whether they started their journey on bumpy Caribbean pitches or in the cathedrals of the European game, they come to Germany all in search of the same thing: glory, respect and a chance to lift the most-coveted prize in sport, the FIFA World Cup. The lowdown on the world's best The quadrennial, month-long carnival that is the FIFA World Cup? finals is not just about the football, just as football itself is so much more than just '22 hirelings kicking a leather ball', as was once famously suggested. From the tens of thousands of visiting fans to the hard-working volunteers, many factors conspire to make the FIFA World Cup a spectacle without peer in the world of organised sport. However, one thing is certain: without the players, 736 footballers from 32 different nations spread over six continents, nothing else would really matter. Whether they started their journey on bumpy Caribbean pitches or in the cathedrals of the European game, they come to Germany all in search of the same thing: glory, respect and a chance to lift the most-coveted prize in sport, the FIFA World Cup. The quadrennial, month-long carnival that is the FIFA World Cup? finals is not just about the football, just as football itself is so much more than just '22 hirelings kicking a leather ball', as was once famously suggested. From the tens of thousands of visiting fans to the hard-working volunteers, many factors conspire to make the FIFA World Cup a spectacle without peer in the world of organised sport. However, one thing is certain: without the players, 736 footballers from 32 different nations spread over six continents, nothing else would really matter. The Joga Bonito movement is dedicated to eliminating unfair and unsportsmanlike play from soccer. It promotes honesty, fair and creative play. The motto is "play from the heart." There are film clips of Brazilian Ronaldinho playing as a preteen. Then clips of Ronaldinho as a professional making the same moves. The smile never leaves his face. There's a wonderful segment of Wayne Rooney during a training session with Manchester United. Rooney doesn't like the lack of enthusiasm shown by a goalkeeper, so he proceeds to play in goal, making a variety of stops, before heading out of net to lead the charge in the other direction, all this with manager Alex Ferguson looking on, shaking his head and the sheer joy of playing oozing out of the English striker. When you play it from the heart, it is a beautiful game.
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