It is one of soccer’s most familiar sights: the final whistle blows, and players from opposing teams seek each other out to swap shirts, walking off the field bare-chested or wearing the colors of the team they just battled against. The jersey exchange is a beloved tradition, but where did it come from, and what … Read more
Substitutions are a fundamental part of modern soccer, letting managers refresh tired legs, change tactics, and respond to the flow of a game. But the rules around them, how many you get, when you can make them, and what happens in extra time, have changed significantly in recent years, and they can be more nuanced … Read more
Every soccer team has a captain, the player who wears the armband and leads the side on the field. But what does the captain actually do, and what powers and responsibilities does the role carry under the laws of the game? The answer is a mix of formal duties, surprisingly limited official authority, and a … Read more
A soccer team puts 11 players on the field, and while the game can look like a free-flowing scramble at times, every player has a defined role and a position to fill. Understanding those positions, what each one does and where they line up, is the key to following the game, reading a team’s tactics, … Read more
Goalscorers get the glory, but behind many of the World Cup’s most iconic goals was a player who made it possible with a perfectly weighted pass, a pinpoint cross, or a piece of vision that unlocked a defense. The assist is football’s great supporting act, and the World Cup’s all-time leaders in this category are … Read more
Goalscorers get the glory, but behind many of the World Cup’s most iconic goals was a player who made it possible with a perfectly weighted pass, a pinpoint cross, or a piece of vision that unlocked a defense. The assist is football’s great supporting act, and the World Cup’s all-time leaders in this category are … Read more
The World Cup usually rewards caution. Tight defenses, low scores, and matches settled by a single goal are the norm on the sport’s biggest stage. But every so often the floodgates open, and a game produces a goal avalanche that defies belief. The highest-scoring matches in World Cup history are wild, chaotic affairs, some played … Read more
In football, a goal can change everything in an instant, and at the World Cup, a few players have struck before the crowd has even settled into their seats. Scoring in the opening seconds of a match on the sport’s biggest stage is one of the rarest feats in the game, a moment of pure … Read more
While the World Cup’s biggest individual honors usually go to the goalscorers and playmakers, there is one award reserved for the players who keep the goals out: the Golden Glove, given to the best goalkeeper of each tournament. It is a celebration of the shot-stoppers, the penalty-savers, and the commanding presences between the posts who … Read more
The World Cup group stage is the friendly part of the tournament, where a draw still earns a point and teams have room to recover from a slip. The knockout stage is where it turns cruel. From the Round of 32 onward, every match is win or go home, which means a draw is no … Read more