When it comes to the World Cup tournament, host nations have long used the event as a giant diversionary tool. Whether the economy is sagging (South Africa), corruption scandals are raging (Brazil) or world bodies have levied sanctions in response to illegal interventions ...read more
Global tournaments like the World Cup are never free of politics and that was especially true in 1938 during the run-up to World War II when the fascist leaders of Germany and Italy were eager to put their stamp on the final outcome. But the Germans may have made a miscalculation ...read more
Over the course of the month-long World Cup, fans will cheer for every “golazo” and groan over every near miss, or defensive miscue. One thing most people outside of the pitch won’t lose sleep over, however, is the sport’s most important object: the ball. This year’s ball, the ...read more
Every four years, patient soccer fans around the world can allow themselves to dream once again that their nation can—and will—claim FIFA World Cup glory. In the decades since Uruguay hosted and won the first World Cup in 1930—a much smaller-scale affair featuring 13 teams and ...read more
On March 20, 1966, a daring thief in London fulfilled the dreams of soccer players around the globe by putting his hands on the Jules Rimet Trophy. Four months before England was set to host the World Cup for the first time, panic and embarrassment swept the country when it was ...read more
As World War I raged and the men of England went off to the trenches, women took their place—both on the factory floor and on the soccer field. At the Dick, Kerr and Co. factory in the northwest English city of Preston, women kept the trolley cars, locomotives and munitions ...read more
1. Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh In the 19th century, Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh turned the hunt for new dinosaur species into a cutthroat game of one-upmanship. The two scientists started out on friendly terms—each had once named new fossils ...read more
On May 7, 1921, representatives from eight of America’s premier soccer teams met late into the night at Manhattan’s Hotel Astor before embarking on a bold plan to launch a new professional soccer league. Although it had passionate supporters, soccer had not established the same ...read more
Its organizers hoped the 1950 edition of the Cup would mark a return to normalcy. First contested in 1930, the quadrennial event was being held for just the fourth time, after being cancelled from 1938 onwards due to World War II. With much of Europe still war torn, Brazil easily ...read more
Known to most of the rest of the world as football, or “fútbol,” the beautiful game is almost exclusively referred to as soccer in the United States, but many Americans may be surprised to learn that our outlier moniker actually originated across the pond. Games played by ...read more
On this day in 1950, an American team composed largely of amateurs defeated its more polished English opponents at the World Cup, held in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Dubbed the “Miracle on Green,” the game is considered one of the greatest soccer upsets of all time. The English team ...read more
In the first televised World Cup soccer match, host-nation England beats Germany 4 to 2 to win the tournament final at Wembley Stadium. In overtime play, England’s Geoff Hurst scored his second of three match goals to give Britain a 3 to 2 lead. In the dying seconds of overtime ...read more
Trophy’s Best Friend A few months before the 1966 World Cup, the Jules Rimet trophy, which is awarded to each tournament’s winner, went on display at a London stamp exhibition. Despite 24-hour surveillance, thieves managed to break into the trophy’s display case and make off with ...read more
It may have been the greatest soccer upset of all time, a World Cup match so astonishing it was retroactively dubbed the “Miracle on Green.” On June 25, 1950, a ragtag bunch of American amateurs defeated England in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, a mining city surrounded by hills. ...read more
Brazilian soccer great Pele scores his 1,000th professional goal in a game, against Vasco da Gama in Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium. It was a major milestone in an illustrious career that included three World Cup championships. Pele, considered one of the greatest soccer ...read more
On July 10, 1999, the U.S. women’s soccer team defeats China to win their second Women’s World Cup. The game ended in a 5-4 shootout after 120 scoreless minutes: 90 tightly played minutes of regulation dictated by the United States and 30 tense minutes of overtime largely ...read more
On March 21, 1980, Ronaldo de Assis Moreira is born in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Ronaldinho, as he is now known, became a soccer phenomenon, famous the world over for his breathtaking ball-handling skills and creative play. Ronaldinho began his soccer career with Gremio, one of two ...read more
On this day in 1902, the Madrid Foot Ball Club is founded by a group of fans in Madrid, Spain. Later known as Real Madrid, the club would become the most successful European football (soccer) franchise of the 20th century. With its trademark blue-and-white uniforms (originally ...read more
On this day in 1977, Brazilian soccer superstar Pelé leads the New York Cosmos to victory in the Soccer Bowl, the championship of the North American Soccer League (NASL). With the help of international talent on its rosters, the NASL enjoyed surprising success in the mid-to-late ...read more
On June 21, 1970, Brazil, led by soccer legend Pele, wins its third World Cup championship with a 4-1 victory over Italy. The game, at Aztec Stadium in Mexico City, was attended by 112,000 spectators, most of whom could but marvel at the spectacular play Pele and the Brazilians ...read more
On June 29, 1958, Brazil defeats host nation Sweden 5-2 to win its first World Cup. Brazil came into the tournament as a favorite, and did not disappoint, thrilling the world with their spectacular play, which was often referred to as the “beautiful game.” The star of the ...read more
On this day in 1986, Argentine midfielder Diego Maradona scores two goals to lead Argentina past England and into the semifinals of the World Cup. The game was watched the world over, as Argentina and England had not yet normalized relations after a war over the Malvina Islands, ...read more
On July 12, 1998, France defeats favored Brazil 3-0 to win the FIFA World Cup at Stade de France in Saint Denis. This was the first World Cup France had hosted since 1938 and the country’s first-ever World Cup title. The 1998 Les Bleus was a multi-ethnic squad that reflected the ...read more
On July 13, 1930, France defeats Mexico 4-1 and the United States defeats Belgium 3-0 in the first-ever World Cup football matches, played simultaneously in host city Montevideo, Uruguay. The World Cup has since become the world’s most watched sporting event. After football ...read more
