I am curious to what people have to say
The simplicity.
More specifically, the fact that that simplicity allows for worldwide popularity and creativity.
I used to watch other sports but the rules changed too much in NFL so soccer is the last pure sport to me. The core rules really can’t change in this sport which is why itll always stay special. NFL rules changed so much that it’s like a new variation of the sport every decade.
The way it’s just 22+1 men playing around with balls
World cup and it’s atmosphere. There is just nothing like it
It can be a simple thing (such as enjoing a goal or a decent dribble at the stadium ) while having a complex layer with tactics and a link with actual world politics.
To steal from a norwegian commentator - the beauty of football is the unpredictability. Within those 90 minutes a game lasts everything can happen. You never know. You might be going to a mid-season game on a rainy day in Stoke, everything set for a dull evening but then both teams performs as if it was a Champions League final, someone pulls out something spectacular and you have witnessed something you will remember for a long time.
And it stretches beyond single games also. I am a norwegian, been a supporter of Bodo/Glimt since 1993. It was almost 30 years of hurt and disappointment, several relegations and almost bankruptcy. Then slowly the club started becoming good, won their first league title in 2020 and won their third this year. That they managed to become the biggest club in Norway was totally unbelievable as late as 2016.