A question-and-answer trivia on some of the most shocking facts about soccer and its players .

1. Fútbol
Football
Soccer
By Michelle Medina

2. a.
b.
c.
_ ?___IS ONE OF 23 SIBLINGS.
(HE CAN PLAY A FULL 11 SIDE FOOTBALL GAME WITH
HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS!)
JORDI ALBA
PATRICE EVRA
MICHAEL BRADLEY

3. a.
b.
c.
IN AN IQ TEST _ ?___ SCORED 150.
(THAT PRETTY MUCH MAKES HIM A GENIUS)
TIM HOWARD
FRANCK RIBERY
FRANK LAMPARD

4. a.
b.
c.
HOW MANY TEAMS ARE IN
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
(MLS)?
10
19
25

5. a.
b.
c.
_ ?___ FATHER DIED OF ALCOHOLISM.
(BECAUSE OF THIS, HE NEVER DRINKS ALCOHOL.)
ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC
LIONEL MESSI
CRISTIANO RONALDO

6. a.
b.
c.
_ ?___ HAS WON THE WORLD CUP
TOURNAMENT FIVE TIMES.
BRAZIL
ENGLAND
ITALY

7. a.
b.
c.
SOCCER WAS ILLEGAL IN MISSISSIPPI
UNTIL _ ?___.
1976
1991
IT’S STILL ILLEGAL!

8. a.
b.
c.
FROM 1994 TO 1998, THE ENGLISH
PREMIER LEAGUE HAD RED, YELLOW, AND
TEAL CARDS. TEAL CARDS WERE USED FOR…
SWEARING PLAYERS
WHO SHOULD BE NICE
A PLAYER WAS HURT &
NEEDED HELP
INSTANT REPLAY OF
POSSIBLE FOULS

9. a.
b.
c.
A SINGLE SOCCER PLAYER RUNS AROUND
_ ?___ PER GAME.
9 MILES
4 MILES
7 MILES

10. a.
b.
c.
AT THE AGE OF 15 _ ?___ WENT
UNDER A MAJOR HEART SURGERY.
GARETH BALE
BRANISLAV IVANOVIC
CRISTIANO RONALDO

11. a.
b.
c.
_ ?___ FIRST CONTRACT WITH
BARCELONA WAS DETAILED OUT ON A
PAPER NAPKIN!
MICHAEL LAUDRUP
LIONEL MESSI
XAVI

12. a.
b.
c.
WHY IS IT HARD TO BE A SOCCER FAN IN
THE USA?
MEDIA COVERAGE IS
POOR
PLAYERS DON’T GET
PAID ENOUGH
SPORTS FAN
IGNORANCE AND
FALSE PERCEPTION
Soccer=
Average annual player salary: $7,796,637
Average weekly player paycheck: $149,935
The AVERAGE MLS player salary is about
$135,000 a year

14. Soccer fandom is
ALIVE in AMERICA

15. SOCCER NOW
Americans
– TO ENJOY THE SPORT
– CONNECTION BETWEEN FAMILY AND FRIENDS
BUT.
…EXPECT TO SEE WORLD-CLASS TALENT
At no time in American history has soccer
been more popular in the United States
2013
MAY'S CHAMPIONS
LEAGUE FINAL
676%
IN VIEWERSHIP OVER THE
LAST 12 YEARS.

16. *INEVITABLE THAT SOCCER WILL SOON BE AS POPULAR AS
MLB AND NBA (ONE MORE GENERATION!)
13.9%
10%
14.4%
317 Million Americans

17. The next generation– THE KIDS 
A ton of kids
are playing it.
30% of
American
households
2nd Most Popular
Sport
12-24 year olds
16th