This summer, you can think of The Beautiful Game by CNN Sports as your trusty companion to help guide you through the myriad of action and countless storylines that will undoubtedly emerge from the 104 matches being played across the continent

It may be cliché, but it doesn’t make it untrue – there’s nothing quite like the World Cup.

As is true for over a billion fans around the world, my life has been punctuated every four years by the tournament. It evokes memories of pure elation and takes you back to summers spent celebrating goals with strangers in beer gardens.

The World Cup, though, also serves crushing disappointment as very few things can. Heartbreaking penalty kick losses, missed opportunities and summers spent crying … with strangers in beer gardens.

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Off the field, the world will be watching how the United States, Mexico and Canada can safely host the biggest World Cup in history – with the tournament already creating global headlines before a ball is even kicked.

But on the field is where the best action will take place. There will be heroes, villains and everything in between. Teenagers you’ve never heard of will suddenly become household names for the summer, and previous legends of the game will bow out on the biggest stage (looking at you, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo).

Ultimately, nothing can move a group of people like soccer can, especially at a World Cup. It taps into something primal, uniting nations and creating memories that last forever, causing your heart to beat louder than ever before.