You must love both football and betting if you want to make a successful bet. The only hinder that I could see is if you become emotional with your bets.
There will always be a team that we prefer especially if our country is supporting one team. Football is a good example of being blinded by the bets that we will make because of the support that we are giving to them.
Now, it's all up to us if we want to stick with the team that our country is supporting or we are going for the spreads that was given to us. Just a few weeks/months ago there was a sudden change in the results of winners that was not expected by both gamblers and fans. I guess we have to learn with that.
A really huge number of people around the world are into soccer. For such people, the probability of successfully predicting the result of a soccer match is much higher than the average person who is not into soccer. In addition, many soccer fans make bets not to make money, but as a motivation to get together with friends in a bar and cheer for their favorite team. If we talk about earning money on betting, it is more profitable than playing the same slots, given that the bettor knows about sports.
Football is a worldwide game but it makes a difference if your country is not part of it. It means 113 million people are not into it because their team will not participate in the event. Imagine that.
But, they will still say it is one of the biggest sports in the sports industry although I doubt that because of the fact that if one team/country didn't make it to the elimination then it means fewer viewers or the only ones left are those who are from the country who are participating.
I am kind of against it because I want to see other countries supporting other games even though it is not from their country. Me for example, I like watching Euro games although I am not European or NBA although I am not American. I think that's the essence of sports. For people to be dragged in a different league although their team is not part of it.
I completely agree with you. The national team of my country does not play soccer very well, so it quickly falls out of the standings, but I still continue to watch the World Cup until the end and in each match I root for one of the teams (each of us finds for ourselves favorites). And in fact, the closer the game to the final the more interesting and entertaining matches, and if you bet, the emotions and worries while watching the match are just off the charts.