Japan is an intoxicating blend of the traditional and the futuristic. It is a unique culture, with a prevailing attitude of respect and deference that underpins its society and shapes its values,…
When Cameroon announced the appointment this summer of Clarence Seedorf as the new head coach of the national team, the choice of such a high-profile name grabbed the attention. It was seemingly a…
“Thank you Croatia! Thank you Zagreb!” hailed Croatian captain Luka Modrić to the joyous crowd in Zagreb’s Jelačićsquare. “We have achieved our dream.” More than half a million had turned out to…
The national stadium in Dili, the capital city of Timor-Leste, is an unassuming place. Two small stands, one on either side of the pitch, offer the only seating, with grass banks providing the…
As settings go for the biggest match in a nation’s footballing history, the Azteca in Mexico City has to be one of the finest. For the Red Devils of Belgium, this would be…
“With so many great players in one team, you make art. You don’t mean to but you do.” These were the thoughts of one of the crucial cogs in the Dutch totaalvoetbal…
To taste the sweet, you must first have faced the pain. The joy of finally achieving your goals, of succeeding where you’d previously floundered, makes the ultimate attainment all the more satisfying. When dreams…
In arguably the worst foul in World Cup history, Cameroon’s Benjamin Massing took out Argentina’s Claudio Caniggia with all the force of a nation
THINK OF THE RUSSIAN NATIONAL TEAM and you’re unlikely to think of anything particularly positive. One brief flutter towards success came in reaching the Euro 2008 semi-finals in fine style – led by…
Despite conceding 24 goals in three games, Tahiti scored one. And it that meant the world to the islanders. This is their journey at the Confederations Cup
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.
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.
“There was complete silence,” said Alcides Ghiggia of the moment he caused nearly 200,000 spectators at Rio’s Maracanã to fall into a deathly hush. “The crowd was frozen still. It was like they…