Changes
Not sure why this was removed
* [[Cristiano Ronaldo]], a [[Portuguese]] contemporary player for [[Real Madrid]].
* [[Lionel Messi]], [[Argentina]]n forward, currently plays for [[Barcelona]].
==Soccer and socialism==
+
+
The nature and rules of soccer very much resemble [[socialism]] in many ways:<ref>http://blog.american.com/?p=16158</ref><ref>http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/06/soccer_the_perfect_socialist_s.html</ref>
* The "no hands" rule can be compared to socialist tax policies.
* The "off-sides" rule prohibits using certain aggressive ("unfair") tactics in the game.
* The game forbids frequent stops, which can be compared to "carbon footprint" efforts to fight supposed [[global warming]].
* Soccer is very bureaucratic, and teams are very much tied to their countries.
* The US is often treated unfairly by other nations in the game, one reason being soccer's lack of popularity in the US - socialism always claimed to favor the absolute will of the majority rather than personal and economic freedom of the individual.
* The World Cup trophy resembles [[Hollywood values|socialist Hollywood's]] Emmy Award.
* In youth leagues, everyone gets a trophy for their efforts regardless of achievement, and there is no scoring in the game.
* [[Union]] [[strikes]], even during the playing season, are a major issue with soccer.
* Riots caused by "hooligans" - fans of a team which lost a game - often include violent crimes, such as infringement on private property rights.
==A note on terminology==
