The world game’s global appeal lies in its power to create belonging, shared experience and everyday social cohesion across cultures, reminding diverse societies that connection is built not only through policy, but through common stories.

As billions of people around the world tune in to the World Cup, it is worth asking why the game can command such extraordinary attention.

Why do people lose sleep to watch matches played on the other side of the world? Why do strangers celebrate together after a goal? Why do sporting victories and defeats evoke such powerful emotions?

The answer, I believe, lies in football’s unique capacity to create belonging.

At a time when many societies are grappling with loneliness, declining trust and increasing social fragmentation, football reminds us of a simple but important truth. Human beings need shared experiences. We need opportunities to connect with people beyond our immediate families, workplaces and social circles. We need stories that bring us together rather than drive us apart.

I first understood this as a young Bangladeshi student studying at the International Islamic University Malaysia during the 1986 World Cup.

The university television room was under renovation, so hundreds of students gathered in the canteen around a single television. Malaysians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Africans, Arabs and others crowded into a hot, humid room filled with noise, excitement and mosquitoes.

One evening my lecturer, Dr Sadeq, joined us. As a young student raised in a culture of deep respect for teachers, I tried to remain composed while watching the match beside him.

That composure disappeared when Diego Maradona picked up the ball near midfield against England and began his extraordinary run.

The canteen erupted when he scored. Tables shook, strangers embraced, and even my lecturer joined the celebration. For a few minutes, nationality, language and status disappeared.

That same match later became famous for Maradona’s controversial “Hand of God” goal. Yet........

© Pearls and Irritations