In the hunt for the next Messi, conventional wisdom favours football players with lots of experience at an early age. Research and England’s example may advocate a different approach.
The last time football “came home” coincided with Beatlemania, the Vietnam War, and the start of Mao’s Cultural Revolution.
National Media Museum
Every England fan in Moscow knows that that football is ‘coming home’, but can England really claim to be where the world’s most popular sport rests its head?
England fans celebrate the team’s World Cup penalty shoot out victory on the beach in Brighton.
Gareth Fuller/PA Wire
The beautiful game still needs to perform on bigger social issues.
In 2016, Norwich City Football Club was one of dozens of English football teams that took part in the Stonewall Charity’s “Rainbow Laces” campaign to combat discrimination against LGBT fans and players.
Canaries.co.uk
Football presents itself as a neutral, universal and, in a way, desexualised sport. Yet despite widespread campaigns against homophobia, deeply negative attitudes about gay players persist.
Ghana’s goalkeepers, Stephen Adams (L) and Fatawu Dauda (R), pray before a 2014 World Cup match.
Robert Ghement/EPA
An expert gives a few tips on what makes the perfect penalty football kick.
Gareth Southgate dejected after failing to score in the penalty shoot out which ended England’s chances in the Euro ‘96 semi-final match against Germany at Wembley.
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