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.
Will England be serenading its football heroes in 2018?
@Doug88888/flickr
The Russia and Qatar World Cups are backward steps for LGBT rights – unless FIFA can use the tournaments to achieve change.
This is the first time Video Assistant Referee system, known as VAR,has been used at the world cup to assist referees make decisions.
KIMIMASA MAYAMA/AAP
Video assistant referees have led to some controversial decisions at the World Cup. Rather than improving the quality of decision making by on-field refs, VAR could undermine it instead.
Nigeria’s players react after the loss to Argentina in the 2018 world cup.
EPA-EFE/Tolga Bozoglu
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
Some on the left view sport as a distraction. But life is a struggle. And there shouldn’t be anything wrong with finding something to celebrate.
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.
PA/PA Archive/PA Images
Madeleine De Gabriele, The Conversation; Phoebe Roth, The Conversation e Justin Bergman, The Conversation
The value of sport
The Conversation45,1 MB(download)
As we reach the World Cup's halfway point, we're asking: what is sport worth? On today's episode, we explore the money and diplomatic power plays lingering behind the scenes of every big tournament.
The designs, materials, cuts and graphics of jerseys are meant to stand out.
AP Photo/Frank Augstein
World Cup jerseys have to please players, national officials, FIFA rulemakers and – perhaps most importantly – fans who buy them to show support for their teams.
Eniola Aluko is a key player in the England national team.
EPA/Stefan Jerrevang
Online gambling collects a huge amount of data. But instead of personalising offers to keep you hooked, real-time data can be used to prevent problematic gambling behaviour.