There is no bigger advantage in football than playing a World Cup on home soil. The roar of a home crowd, familiar conditions, and no long-distance travel have all helped host nations to some of the tournament’s most famous triumphs. Six times in World Cup history, the country hosting the tournament has gone all the … Read more
If you watch soccer, you will constantly hear commentators say a player “scored a brace” or “completed his hat-trick.” These are two of the sport’s most common goalscoring terms, but if you are newer to the game, they can be confusing, especially the word “brace,” which has an unusual origin. Both refer to a single … Read more
When the World Cup draw is made, fans and pundits immediately scan the groups for one thing: the “group of death.” It is one of soccer’s most dramatic and widely used phrases, instantly signalling a cluster of teams so strong that a quality side is guaranteed to crash out early. But what exactly makes a … Read more
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