Soccer (or football, as it’s called everywhere else in the world) is the most popular sport around the globe… except in the United States. Forbes just released a list of the 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams and you know what number one was? English football (soccer) team, Manchester United. Number two must have been a U.S. team though, right? Maybe the Patriots? Or the Yankees?
Nope. Number two was Spanish soccer team, Real Madrid.
The U.S. is the only country that hasn’t gotten the memo about how awesome soccer is, but there’s a new movement that is setting out to change that. It’s called (drum roll, please)….
The Free Beer Movement.
(Cue: Angels singing)
This is a grassroots movement that relies on America’s love of beer to build a soccer fan base in our country. The folks who started this whole thing say that the idea is simple: if you love soccer, recruit a few friends who never or rarely watch soccer and invite them to your house or a pub to watch a game. Maybe even invite them to a live game if you’re nice like that. They may be reluctant, but they will give in when you tell them that you’re going to give them a free beer.
Don’t go around buying every stranger in town a beer – then you’ll just be dead broke. Instead, choose a lucky few friends, family or co-workers to spread the joy to. Once you get those people hooked on soccer, it’s their duty to pay it forward and buy someone else a beer. The creators of The Free Beer Movement summarize it best:
“Free beer is the lure, but American soccer is the message. When you buy a soccer newbie a beer you’re committing yourself to helping soccer in America. You’re committing yourself to helping educate these soccer newbies in the ways of soccer. You’re helping build a future for the sport in this country.”
Are any of our readers also soccer fans? We volunteer to be guinea pigs for this movement. You are SO welcome to give us free beer.