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.
China want to win the World Cup by 2050. This year, its team didn’t even qualify for the tournament. China has money, power and a dream – but that doesn’t add up to soccer brilliance.
Sporting diplomacy could warm Britain’s relations with Russia during the World Cup once more.
Superstar Diego Maradona holds up the World Cup trophy in 1986. The World Cup tournament may prompt some people to get out and play themselves, leading to possible injuries.
(AP Photo/Carlo Fumagalli)
Made up almost entirely of West Germans, the roster of Germany’s national soccer team reflects divisions that remain almost 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Fans hold banners and cheer, as the U.S. team takes the field for a World Cup qualifying soccer match against Panama, Oct. 6, 2017, in Orlando, Fla.
AP Photo/John Raoux
Sports fans are of two types: purists and partisans. The attitudes of both can affect the game. An expert explains which one you are and what that means.
Argentine striker Mario Kempes controlling the ball during his team’s win against the Netherlands in the 1978 World Cup.
El Grafico