'International football is a gateway to dreams.'

Journalist Truong Anh Ngoc reminisces about the World Cup seasons of the 1980s. He believes that football, in itself, has a romantic quality, serving as a foundation for many cultures to tell their own stories.

On the afternoon of May 30th in Hanoi, the panel discussion "America. Football. Culture" took place at InBook Bookstore. The event was an intercultural dialogue between sports journalist Truong Anh Ngoc and author Hieu Minh (author of the book "America from A-Z ").

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, speakers commented on how the United States has applied economic thinking to transform a sport once neglected by them into a lucrative industry, while also changing how the world appreciates the beautiful game.

The seminar also shared excerpts from two books, *Anthology of Journalism* by Pier Paolo Pasolini and *Dios es Redondo* (The Spherical God) by Juan Villoro – these are prominent essayists in the world of football. Along with that, there were stories about the speakers' travels and memories related to various World Cups.

Panel discussion "America. Football. Culture". From left to right: author Hieu Minh, journalist Truong Anh Ngoc, writer Duc Anh. Photo: InBook Bookstore.

Football as a sociological lens

Football has been a source of inspiration for some of the greatest minds in world literature. From Albert Camus, the philosopher who once played in goal for the University of Algiers in the 1930s, to Nobel Prize-winning writers like Mario Vargas Llosa and Peter Handke, they all saw football as something epic.

The seemingly contradictory connection between the dynamic and emotionally charged world of movement and the tranquil space of written pages is, in fact, the key to unlocking the deepest dimensions of popular culture.

When we view football through the lens of reading culture, we are not just seeing a game, but deciphering a civilization. For Camus, the goalpost was not merely a place to block shots, but a school that taught him courage, the solitude of fate, and teamwork in the face of life's unavoidable adversities – core elements that shaped his later existentialism.

According to the opinions expressed at the seminar, reading Eduardo Galeano's classic work , *Football in the Sun and the Shade* , helps us understand why football, for Latin Americans, carries the color of faith, a spiritual salvation in the face of the harsh changes of the times.

Conversely, observing how Americans approach this sport through sociological research, readers will recognize the pragmatic philosophy and competitive spirit of a nation that always seeks to exploit culture as an entertainment industry.

Sports sociology textbooks also point out that tactical formations on the field are essentially a reflection of a nation's character: from the cunning, pragmatic, and defensive style of the Italians, the iron discipline of the Germans, to the free-spirited, unrestrained dance of the Brazilians on the beaches.

"Football used to be romantic for the Vietnamese people."

Going back in time to the subsidy era or the early days of economic opening, when a black-and-white television powered by a battery was a luxury item for the entire neighborhood, football was one of the few windows through which people could look out at the wider world.

Back then, people were passionate about football even if they only heard it on a transistor radio, and especially by seeking out and cherishing every page of sports newspapers printed on thin black paper. This love of football naturally went hand in hand with a reading culture, where each match was dissected and discussed by fans with a respectful attitude and a rich, poetic cultural background.

The discussion attracted many readers. Photo: InBook Bookstore.

"I've always thought football was romantic for Vietnamese people," said journalist Truong Anh Ngoc. He explained, "Simply because back then we lacked information. And international football was a gateway to express our dreams."

"During the World Cups of the 1980s and 1990s, the signal was poor, and watching a match was a miracle. And the players on the field were either heroes or villains, bringing lifelong happiness and suffering to the fans. Football itself has a poetic quality. And without football, the different stories outside the match, of cultures, of communities, of specific individuals, would lose an opportunity to be told," journalist Truong Anh Ngoc reminisced.

This event is part of a series of seminars organized by InBook Bookstore, aiming to create cultural dialogues around popular topics such as sports and art right in the bookstore's space. Representatives from the bookstore hope that these discussion events will transform the space into a community hub, a place for multi-faceted dialogue.

Source: https://znews.vn/bong-da-quoc-te-la-cua-ngo-de-gui-gam-mo-mong-post1655755.html