Football. Futbol. Soccer. Whatever you call it — it's the world's sport. And there's a reason for that. It doesn't care where you're from, what language you speak, how much money you have, or what you look like. A ball and some open space. That's all you need. No other sport on earth brings people together the way this one does.
Foot Golf and an Unexpected Lesson
I went out with my uncle recently to play foot golf. Great hobby, by the way — if you haven't tried it, you should. But the whole time, part of my brain was telling me I shouldn't be there. I should be job hunting. Building skills. Being productive. Doing something that "matters."
But here's what I actually learned in that moment: my worries and problems were gone. For the first time in a while, I wasn't thinking about everything wrong with my life. I was just there, kicking a ball around with my uncle, and that was enough. That's a valuable insight that I keep overlooking — sometimes the most productive thing you can do is stop trying to be productive.
The Sport I Grew Up With
I grew up playing soccer since I was a kid. Club teams, traveling to faraway cities, my parents driving me hours just for games. They sacrificed so much for me. And I didn't end up playing in college for a scholarship. I'm sorry, Mom and Dad. I feel like I failed you. But I had no confidence in myself. I was on the bench. A small, skinny kid — the only Asian kid on the team. I was pretty good though, I think. But that didn't matter when I didn't believe it myself.
Touching a Ball Again
Thanks to my uncle, I touched a soccer ball for the first time in a while. And you know what? I could still dribble. I could still juggle. I can easily do 200+ juggles if I'm locked in and not tired — without having touched a ball in over nine years. Some things you just can't unlearn. It lives in your body.
A Conversation With a Stranger
Before foot golf, an older gentleman — probably in his 50s — saw me juggling and dribbling and came up to talk. And just like that, we were deep in the greatest debate in football: Messi or Ronaldo?
I said Messi. Obviously.
I grew up watching Messi at Barcelona since 2010. Every Champions League night, every league game on the weekends — waking up early just to watch. Played every FIFA since '09 — and for the record, FIFA 12, 14, and 15 were the greatest FIFAs ever made. Don't argue with me on that.
Messi is the greatest inspiration story in the sport. Not tall. Not strong. Not fast. Diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency as a kid. And still became the greatest player to ever live. That's a teaching lesson for life — the things you can't control should never stop you from doing what you love. Except maybe basketball. You kind of need to be tall for that one.
We talked about Neymar — my favorite player — and how he's back in his hometown and actually doing well again. About Mbappe. About Raphinha stepping up as captain at Barca. About Lamine Yamal being so ridiculously young and talented and whether he can keep it up without being sucked into the money and fame like Neymar was.
It was a good talk. With a complete stranger. About the beautiful game. And that's exactly what football does — it connects people who have nothing else in common. A kid in his 20s and a man in his 50s, standing in a park, bonding over the same sport that billions of people around the world love.
That's why it's the world's sport.