If you really want to impress members, you don't have to talk about hard subjects, such as economy, politics or global warming. What really impresses almost all men is if the woman in front of them knows a thing or two about football. First of all, the majority of men love football and watch it as often as they get the chance. Secondly, they usually don't expect women to be as passionate or interested about football as they are (actually, we found some reasons to prove them wrong - read some nice facts here). Therefore, if you really want to grow in their eyes, check the following facts about today's football and you will take your conversations with them to the next level.
What are the basic rules of football? First of all, you have to know that football is played between two teams of 11 players each. Teams consist of one goalkeeper, who has the right to play the ball with his hands in his own 16 meter box, and 10 field players. They are further divided into defenders, midfielders and strikers, depending on their position on the pitch, but there are no specific rules for each of these categories.
Games last 90 minutes (two halves of 45 minutes each) and the team who scores more goals wins. If there is a knock out game and teams are level after 90 minutes, two additional 15 minutes halves are played. If teams are still level, penalties are played (5 shots from the 11 meter spot for each team).
What types of football teams exist? There are two types of football teams: club teams and international teams. Clubs exist in all countries and they can buy players of all nationalities. By contrast, international teams consist only of players of a certain nationality, regardless of the clubs they belong to. For example, Lionel Messi plays both for FC Barcelona in Spain and the national team of Argentina, and Cristiano Ronaldo plays both for Juventus Torino in Italy and the national team of Portugal.
What types of football competitions exist? Clubs compete in domestic or international competitions. Domestic competitions usually include the Championship and the Cup, while an example of international competition is the UEFA Champions League, where the best clubs from all over Europe face each other. By contrast, international teams compete in continental or global cups, such as the Euro or the World Cup, which take place every four years.
Who are the best players in the world? As we already mentioned, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are by far the most famous players in the world. Almost all football fans prefer one over the other and their rivalry makes football such a passionate and appreciated game today. Other great players include Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool and Netherlands national team), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool and Egypt national team), and Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint Germain and France national team).
Which are the best teams in the world? At club level, the best teams in the world are FC Barcelona and Real Madrid from Spain, Bayern Munchen from Germany, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool from England, and Juventus Torino and AC Milan from Italy. At international level, the best teams are Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Italy, England, France, and Portugal.
Who are the current title holders? The most important football trophies in the world at the moment are held by: Liverpool (UEFA Champions League 2018-2019 winners), France (World Cup 2018 winners), and Portugal (Euro 2016 winners).
