World Cup Fever and Its 'Soothing' Role

The World Cup isn't just a game for the thousands of football fans who regard it as the holy grail and Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the prophets. A growing body of scholars see football playing an under-appreciated role as keeper of society's well-being -- providing a sense of identity with an almost religious role. The late Liverpool manager Bill Shankly once said that football is more important than "life and death". But Pele's "Beautiful ...