why must countries engage each other in soccer?
406808
for the same reason they engage in football or cricket or any sports - to show off!! :-)
1091512
Because it is a sport, not war. Yes it was a cheaters goal the first one, but the second, to this date, has not be bettered by any person.  Also, the game has two halves, and there was always a chance that we could equalise and win, oh and the point that we are English and dont throw our toys around when things aint going our way.
1149009
I think Australia and the United States should both be playing stronger teams in friendlies.  They can only get better by doing this.
992655
it differs from cup to cup, as does the world's country count.  There is no set amount of slots to participate.  any country may participate and the elimination rounds just keep paring them down like any play-off series.
334597
Because the FIFA ranking system is seriously flawed. They rank, based on how a team does in it's respective order or group. The USA has to play against all crappy teams in Central America including Honduras and Guatemala. Both countries have small populations and therefore have a limited source of soccer players. USA should be in the 30's and the Czech republic in the lower teens.
1013263
Countries have to bid to host the world cup - members of the various football associations around the world then vote for the country they think will provide the best world cup - often they vote for the country they have most affiliation with - I don't think Brasil have bid that often.
496029
Why not, Australia have already beaten four World Champions and drawn with another. Uruguay-England-France-Arentina and drew with Brazil. Anything can happen in FOOTBALL and I say again WHY NOT. Some of these games may of been "Friendlies" but they are still full international games.
347380
Qualifying takes over a year and clubs would not want to release players for internatinal games if they had to a international competition more often. Don't forget you have the european championships every 4 years, and the african nations cup and copa america also!
76391
Soccer! Its worldwide.
1180354
I love your question. I've asked myself this ? too. As I thought about it I came with another ?. What other game on earth could reunite all the world together in one country every 4 years other than the World Cup? when they do It every 4 years it becomes a dream for everyone in the world to be there. And it's where you can see the best of a player. \nThat's why it's a must for me to be there in 2010. That's my dream
474135
I don't think so, because you will never get every team to play every other team. Some countries play 1-2 internationals per year.\n\nIt is a relative ranking system. Thats why sometimes a team ranked 100 might beat a team ranked 20.
721646
Same reason why we have the olympics to re-unify the world and create a link between different countries. It's also just competitive nature and countries wanting to be better than the others, patriotism and supporting your country, take your pick
305815
Simple.Not only are we hated by most nations for being the leading country,We are also pretty good in Soccer,we got by Mexico in the playoffs last World Cup.What we Americans can fix is respecting the game.It is number 1 in the world while in the USA it is pretty far down in the list.
43052
More people around the world love soccer that any other sport in the world. Check this out: FIFA claims that there are more countries that are members of FIFA than there are countries which are members of the United Nations!
1171462
football is a form of entretainment that surpases all american sports because of the global reach it has. Just like the Olympics, the world cup uses nationalism to make millions of dollars.. but the most important thing is with football countries dont have to fight a war or kill each other.. they can play this and the whole world can watch\n\nI only watch football when is this big.. I have a favorite club, but I feel a lot more compelled to watch a game for my country rather than my favorite club
457456
Our top players can play with the best in the world, the place the US is lacking is the depth that countries like England, Italy and the Netherlands posess. If the US can stay healthy we can go a long way in this World Cup.
585679
North Americans from the United States(remember America is a continent, not a country, Brazilians, Argentines, and Mexicans are Americans too)don´t get soccer, because they´ve always segregated themseçves from the rest of the world, and from the growth of the country as an economic power, it never had to import much, and so, the influence from other countries never really affected it much. That´s why they play such different sports than the world plays, like Football and Baseball.  And also, the mentality in the United States is extremely competitive and full of pressure, and so they olny like to compete in sports they know they can win, or can develop winning teams if they put more time and money.  Soccer has never been a sport about time and money, but rather aboout passion, and fun, and the joy of running around with the objective of scoring goals.  If it were based on time and money, than South Americawould never have had as many world tittles as it does, and countries like England and France, who have only one title each would both have numerous tittles, and especially England.  South America would never have been the most victorious continent.  Also, Americans have too strong of a competitive mentality in anything, be it capitalism, or sports.  Which is why they never play soccer, because it would take time to create a soccer culture, and because of that, they would lose a lot before they start winning.  And for the United States, that´s not acceptable, that´s why subjects like Vietnam, and The Twin Towers, and Baseball World Cup are taboos, they were times in which they were handed defeat.   The mentality can be seen in their sports, especially football, where it´s always about crush kill and destroy.  Be it monopolies and the economic of the country, be it its politics, or its sports, and soccer is one of the few things that they can´t crush kill and destroy, and in which they have to be humble.