Argentine striker Mario Kempes controlling the ball during his team’s win against the Netherlands in the 1978 World Cup.
El Grafico
FIFA has never been free of political interference and controversies since its inception in 1904.
Emil Jeyaratnam/The Conversation; AAP images
Scandal-plagued FIFA says it’s committed to reform. Changing the way World Cup hosts are selected would be a start.
Senegal’s starting 11 before a recent friendly against Luxembourg.
Julian Warnand/EPA
When Senegal face Poland in their first World Cup match in Russia, the whole nation will be roaring them on to victory.
At the 2014 World Cup African fans felt that Nigeria were on the receiving end of poor refereeing.
Peter Powell/EPA
Video Assistant Referees at the World Cup finals in Russia might help African teams to do better than they have done so far.
EPA-EFE/Kiyoshi Ota
The Chinese president dreams of World Cup glory. His best first step is to win the right to stage the finals.
Arsenal FC’s new sponsor is Rwanda.
Twitter/@Arsenal
Political ethics and sports don’t match well. The recent deal between Rwanda and Arsenal is potentially a case in point.
Throughout its storied history, the Beitar Jerusalem soccer team has won 13 state titles.
AP Photo/Ariel Schalit
Beitar Jerusalem has always attracted the outsiders, the oppressed and the victimized – Israel’s ‘forgotten Jews.’
Football Federation Australia has scored some own goals this year.
Dan Himbrechts/AAP
What should have been a great year for Australian soccer has been let down by underwhelming fan interest and a distracting dispute between Football Federation Australia and A-League clubs.
Shutterstock
Drinking coffee before exercising could make you run faster and lift heavier - if you’ve the right genes.
The shirt numbers of Brisbane Roar player Ivan Franjic are seen to dislodge during the Preliminary Stage 2 AFC Champions League match between the Brisbane Roar and Ceres Negros FC at the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre in Brisbane, Tuesday, January 23, 2018.
AAP Image/ Dave Hunt
The Brisbane Roar’s woes are the least of the Bakrie Group’s concerns, writes Nasya Bahfen.
The world’s most expensive defender, Virgil van Dijk, gets a warm welcome at Liverpool.
EPA/Peter Powell
The combination of changing your manager early enough and forking out on transfers could be the difference between relegation and Premier League survival.
George Weah has his work cut out for him in Liberia.
Reuters/Luc Gnago
He’s used to ruling on the soccer field, but how will George Weah tackle the job of Liberian president?
Will the World Cup give Brand Russia a boost?
shutterstock.com
Russian officials will be hoping that excitement about one of the world’s biggest sporting events generates some goodwill for the country.
The Australian national football team’s remarkable triumph in Vietnam in 1967 has never been properly and collectively recognised.
Australian Soccer Federation
At the height of the Vietnam War, the Holt government agreed it would be a good idea if the national football team took part in a tournament in Vietnam to boost morale.
Defender Matt Besler sits on the field after losing to Trinidad and Tobago in a 2018 World Cup qualifying match.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo
In a system that’s far better at identifying the best payers than finding the best players, the pipeline of talent gets choked out by costly tournament and team fees.
lev radin/Shutterstock
Everyone can stop talking about money for a few months. But expect more records to be set next year.
Dave Howarth/PA Archive/PA Images
In 25 years of the Premier League, things have changed, but it’s an ongoing battle.
The FFA, headed by Steven Lowy, is currently beset by an array of challenges to its control of football in Australia.
AAP/Lukas Coch
It’s worth defending the principle that the national governing body, not the clubs and not the states, should run football in Australia.
Broadcaster Les Murray, who has passed away aged 71, was the archetypal team member.
AAP/Penny Bradfield
Les Murray helped football transform itself from a predominantly migrant activity in Australia into what he loved to call ‘the world game’.
Survivors of a stampede at Demba Diop stadium, Senegal. Eight people were killed when a wall collapsed after fighting started between fans.
EPA
As Senegal mourns the victims of the Demba Diop football stadium crush and searches for answers, it is to be hoped that lessons are learned, and consequences are swift.