Something being popular doesn't equate to it being good. Lots of things were popular when I was a kid...most of it wasn't good. Everyone gets it, the world loves soccer. It's a simple sport and even poor countries can become good at it since all you need is a ball.
There is nothing like the passion of the World Cup with the best players of the world's most popular and international sport get together with the support of their supporters and fans from back home as well as around the world. What other sporting event can get the passions riled up of people whose countries have absolutely no chance of every qualifying for the event. Part of what makes this the world's greatest event is the passion the people of the world put into this event. The Olympics, the World Hockey Championships, even the World Baseball Classic can't compete with this.
Other sports like hockey, not likely to catch on across the whole world. It requires ice, a lot of equipment, it's expensive. As a sport becomes more and more complicated and/or more and more expensive, it will start loosing out on possible fans/players. Fine, but soccer isn't the best sport out there, it's merely the simplest.
I have nothing against hockey. I enjoy the sport and enjoy watching the Stanley Cup. You may even argue that it is a better sport than soccer (though I wouldn't agree). Regardless, comparing the Stanley Cup finals with the World Cup is all kinds of rediculous.
Cycling is demanding yes, but also a sport of cheaters. Everyone is sitting around trying to figure out the best way to dope without being caught. Cycling is a slightly less white trash sport than NASCAR, but it's essentially the same thing.
I agree that there is a problem with cheating in cycling. It is hard to get it out of the sport. However, with all of the well publicized cheating incidents in American sports, it would be hard to say that the sport of Cycling is the only one that is hampered by the problem, and perhaps because the sport's authorities have been so aggressive in rooting out the problem we hear more about it than, say MLB, which actually colluded in covering up allegedly positive tests a few years ago.
Cycling is not a white trash sport. Those involved in the sport are generally in the upper income brackets as are their fans, where if you go to many NASCAR events, the stands are heavily populated by Southern Rednecks.
Of course, I am biased. I participate/d in both of these sports. I used to be a high level soccer player as a junior and currently am an active cyclist in the context of participating in triathlons.
I am not denigrating ANY sporting events. I think all sports are great and I encourage people to participate in them and enjoy them. However, I am of the opinion that the FIFA World Cup and le Tour de France are two of the greatest sporting events in the world. And, once the FIFA World Cup is completed, I will be watching the Tour with an eagle eye.
