Table of Contents

Fast Facts

football: Media

soccer

Videos

Watch this video to learn more about the history of the FIFA World Cup.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Explore the chemistry of the football (soccer ball) used in the 2014 World Cup.

Captain Carlos Alberto Torres holding the Jules Rimet trophy aloft after Brazil's...

Gianni Foggia—AP/Shutterstock.com

2002 World Cup

Brazil's Ronaldo (yellow shirt) maneuvering around opposing German players during...

Thomas Kienzle/AP

Carli Lloyd

Carli Lloyd (left) of the United States scoring a penalty goal during the semifinal...

Carmen Jaspersen/AP Images

Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona (right) of Argentina and a South Korean defender in a 1986 World Cup...

Colorsport

Sepp Blatter

Sepp Blatter, 2006.

Ghana's Michael Essien heading the ball in a 2006 World Cup match against the United...

Opening ceremony of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, Bata, Equatorial Guinea.

Gavin Barker—PA Photos/Landov

1930 World Cup

Uruguay scoring its first goal in the World Cup final against Argentina, in Montevideo,...

AP Images

The catenaccio defense, showing the positions of the players and the range of the...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Positions of the players for the withdrawn centre forward attack.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

A professional football (soccer) field. International rules allow for variations...

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