Euguene Volokh lists three reasons why soccer is superior to American football:
1. It actually mostly involves the ball being moved with the foot.2. Head-butting an opponent is seen as reason for a penalty, rather than praise.3. When the World Championship is held, it involves teams from more than one country.
The important fourth point though, is that you can actually watch soccer with no need for dozens of outside distractions in order to get through it. A play every minute makes for multitasking, not excitement or action. I don’t think soccer is perfect, but given the popularity of football in America, it makes you wonder why such a slow and boring sport has captured so many of our imaginations.