Japan is an intoxicating blend of the traditional and the futuristic. It is a unique…
Why Seedorf and Kluivert, Cameroon’s new management team, are facing a mammoth task in Africa
When Cameroon announced the appointment this summer of Clarence Seedorf as the new head coach…
The controversy that has damaged Luka Modrić’s reputation for many in his homeland
“Thank you Croatia! Thank you Zagreb!” hailed Croatian captain Luka Modrić to the joyous crowd…
The road to Moscow: how Mongolia and Timor-Leste kicked off a 936-game odyssey to Russia
The national stadium in Dili, the capital city of Timor-Leste, is an unassuming place. Two small…
The last time Belgium lit up the World Cup: a run to the 1986 semi-finals
As settings go for the biggest match in a nation’s footballing history, the Azteca in…
Johnny Rep: the natural Total Footballer who weaved his way into legend
“With so many great players in one team, you make art. You don’t mean to…
How Panama overcome past despair to find the ultimate glory in World Cup qualification
To taste the sweet, you must first have faced the pain. The joy of finally achieving…
When two worlds collide: Claudio Caniggia and Benjamin Massing at Italia 90
BRUTAL ASSAULT or comic collision? Cynical professionalism or amateurish naivety? To laugh or to cry? Whatever your thoughts,…
Salvatore Schillaci: the unlikely hero of Italia 90
IT IS ONE of the most iconic images of Italia 90, along with Paul Gascoigne’s…
The golden ages of the Soviet national team
THINK OF THE RUSSIAN NATIONAL TEAM and you’re unlikely to think of anything particularly positive. One…
Tahiti at the 2013 Confederations Cup: a dream fulfilled
“We’re playing with the big boys now,” was the verdict of the Tahiti coach Eddie…
Antonín Panenka and the greatest penalty of all time
“I WAS ONE-THOUSAND percent certain that I would take the penalty in that way and that…
Euro 96: when football should have come home
It has been 20 long years since Euro 96 had English fans dreaming. Boasting one of the best England squads in recent decades, the Three Lions made it all the way to the semis before succumbing to old foes Germany on penalties.
The uplifting story of American Samoa’s footballing redemption
From the depths of a 31-0 defeat, we look back at the remarkable redemption of American Samoa and their first competitve victory despite being FIFA’s lowest ranked side.
Alcides Ghiggia: the life and times of Uruguay’s 1950 World Cup hero
“There was complete silence,” said Alcides Ghiggia of the moment he caused nearly 200,000 spectators at…