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A 2007 FIFA survey found that approximately 265 million people, or 4% of the world's population, played soccer in a regular, organized form, making it the most popular sport on Earth. French-Algerian footballer Zinedine Zidane is most remembered for using his head. He scored two "header" goals in the 1998 World Cup to win the Cup. In 2006, he scored another header and was then red-carded for infamously headbutting Italian defender Marco Materazzi. Claudio Riberio is Brazil's #1 professional-soccer fan. He has attended every World Cup since 1978. The most famous soccer field in Tokyo is the Adidas Football Park. The regulation field is located 130 feet above the ground on the top of Tokyu Toyoko Department Store.

When the United States bid to hold the 1994 World Cup, Brazilian soccer representative Guimarães Octavio Pinto commented that holding the World Cup in the United States was like holding the World Series in Brazil. Only 20 players have ever scored at least one goal each in three different World Cups. (Id est: of the hundreds of players to play in three different World Cups, only 20 of them have ever actually scored once or more in all three of them. German soccer player Miroslav Klose holds the record for career World Cup goals scored, a total of 16. Soccer fans take the game seriously. A French fan once shot a rival fan twice, once for each goal the opposing team had scored on his team.

FIFA started the World Cup in 1930. In 1991, the organization created the Women's World Cup. Argentine footballer Diego Maradona used his hand to score a goal in the 1982 World Cup. When referees discovered this through checking videotape, Maradona claimed it was "the hand of God" that scored the goal. In the Middle Ages, Londoners played an early and very violent form of soccer every Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. English Puritans in the 1600s opposed soccer, claiming it was a sinful game.

Famous Brazilian footballer Manoel Francisco dos Santos (nicknamed Garrincha, or "the little bird") was born with several birth defects, including a deformed spine and a shorter right leg. Despite these challenges, he rose to stardom, scoring five goals for his native Brazil across three World Cups. A professional soccer player scoring an average of one goal per game is basically the equivalent of a baseball player hitting a home run in every game. During his entire career, Brazilian superstar Pelé scored 1,280 goals in 1,360 games, putting him at the second best record of all time, second only to Arthur Friedenreich. After the 1970 World Cup, which Brazil won, the London Sunday Times ran a headline that read: "How Do You Spell Pelé? G-O-D.

Brazilian soccer player Edson Arantes Do Nascimento, more commonly known as Pelé, is widely considered to be the best footballer of all time. Soccer Facts Pelé Pelé was an international phenomenon, raising global awareness of soccer to new levels. Brazilian soccer superstar Pelé was discovered by scouts at age 11 and began playing professionally at age 16. He played in his first World Cup (1958) at age 17, scoring a phenomenal six goals and helping Brazil secure its first World Cup victory. After his performance in the 1958 World Cup, several European teams offered Pelé huge contracts to play for them. In order to stop this, the Brazilian government declared Pelé to be an official national treasure.[9] In 1960, a massive earthquake decimated Chile two years before they were to host the World Cup. FIFA planned to relocate the cup, but the Chilean president demanded that the cup be in Chile, as his country had lost everything else.

FORMER Nike shop assistant Jordan Dawson is coining it in by selling his unique designs to footballers. The 27-year-old Chelsea fan can counts Declan Rice, Tariq Lamptey, Adama Traore and even Romeo Beckham as clients with his handcrafted artwork on footwear, including football boots and trainers. And they pay up to £2,500 for a pair of the customised cleats to wear during Premier League games and for training. "I customised trainers - working with Adidas, Nike and Puma for about five years," Dawson told SunSport. "I got invited to the launch of FIFA 20 by EA Sports, and I had my own booth there where I customised shoes for Kaka and Callum Hudson-Odoi. "I got approached by someone at BBC Sport who asked me if I'd ever thought about customising boots. "I hadn't, but it gave me the idea to offer that service to the players." The first to jump on the trend was West Ham and England star Declan Rice. "The first pair I made for a footballer was for Declan," Dawson continued. "It really snowballed after he shared it on Instagram, and I got more clients. With Declan we spoke at the FIFA event, I chased him up on Instagram, and he got back to me with his number. Jordan admitted when he sees players wearing them in games, it gives him a huge buzz. "It's a dream come true. I grew up living with football. And I always had a love for art and football. "Seeing footballers wear them on the pitch is just incredible. Seeing them score goals, or assist, nothing can beat that feeling."

In the seventh century BC, the North African Berbers played a soccer-like game as a fertility rite. The correct name for the area of play in soccer is not "field" but "pitch." Soccer is the most lucrative sport in the world. The soccer industry produces more money than any other sport. The Britons, pre-Roman inhabitants of the English Isle, played a soccer-like game that had religious significance. The ball represented the sun.

RUNO FERNANDES' new £240,000-a-week deal still doesn't make him one of the top five earners at Manchester United. The 27-year-old has agreed to sign a new five-year contract that will see him bag close to a quarter of a million per week. United chiefs convinced the playmaker that the club can rebuild under their next permanent manager, likely to be Erik ten Hag, and challenge for the title again. The news is expected to be formally announced when Fernandes returns from international duty with Portugal. His new terms will see him rake in a mammoth £12.5million-per-year. But that's just half of what the top earner at the club takes home, with no prizes for guessing who that is. Summer signings Sancho and Varane both earn over £300k every seven days - at £350k and £340k respectively. Pogba lands a tad under the £300k mark, at £290k-a-week, although his contract is set to expire at the end of the season. The last player above Fernandes in the wages rankings is Cavani, with the striker on a pricey £250k-a-week contract. Fernandes' new deal means he now earns more than club captain Harry Maguire and hometown hero Marcus Rashford. Elsewhere De Gea's No 2 Dean Henderson earns a whopping £100k-a-week, with a grand total of zero Premier League appearances this term to show for it. The same goes for Juan Mata, who boasts a £160k weekly wage, without playing in the Prem this campaign.

"IT'S coming Rome", you told us. It's not though, is it. Italy have failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup just 257 days after breaking England hearts at Wembley. The European champions were beaten 1-0 by North Macedonia in their play-off clash and will now MISS their second World Cup in a row. Veteran centre-back Giorgio Chiellini trudged off the pitch after Thursday's shock defeat and whined that he felt 'distraught'. Jorginho said the defeat would "haunt me forever" and boss Roberto Mancini is now being tipped for the sack. And for England fans, it's oh so sweet. North Macedonia stunned Italy with an extra-time screamer from Aleksandar Trajkovski to book their spot in the play-off final with Portugal. That's right, they didn't even make it to the play-off final... After the game, Chiellini claimed he was 'distraught' and dramatically added: "A large void is now within us."

EB COE is among the frontrunners as the race to buy Chelsea hots up. The Olympic track legend and diehard Blues fan is part of a consortium going head-to-head with American Todd Boehly. Several bidders were told on Thursday they had not made the shortlist to take over at the crisis-hit Premier League giants. They included former US diplomat Woody Johnson, the Saudi Media Group, London finance firm Aethel and colourful Turkish investor Muhsin Bayrak. A controversial bid by Chicago Cubs’ owner Tom Ricketts has been opposed by some fans after historic Islamaphobic emails from a member of the family resurfaced. The whittling down of contenders is expected to continue on Friday with hopes a sale of £3billion-rated Chelsea can go through by the end of this month. Boehly and his partner Hansjorg Wyss are emerging as favourites to become preferred bidder in a takeover battle which has rocked the sporting world.

Soccer is the only major world sport in which you can't use your hands to manipulate the ball or object of play. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is the self-declared governing body on all things pertaining to international soccer. The FIFA World Cup is the most-watched sporting event in the world. Soccer is known as "football" everywhere except in the United States. An English name, it does not actually refer to the fact that you play with your feet, but that it is a game played on one's feet, rather than on horseback.

The first World Cup was held in 1930 in Uraguay; 13 teams competed and Uruguay won. The earliest game resembling soccer was invented by Chinese Emperor Huang-Ti in 1697 BC. Players kicked a leather ball stuffed with cork and hair. Certain Britons, ancient inhabitants of England, played a game resembling soccer in which the players kicked around the head of a sacrificed animal. A British soccer legend holds that a footballer once leapt into a canoe to chase a ball that had been kicked off the soccer pitch and into a nearby river. By the time he got back to the game, the teams had found another ball, and his team had lost.

IN two years, Alejandro Garnacho has gone from promising youth star at Manchester United to getting picked by Argentina. The rapid left winger, 17, was handed a surprise call-up to Lionel Scaloni's 44-man squad ahead of World Cup qualifying games against Venezuela and Ecuador. It means, even though he hasn't appeared in the first team, he will be training alongside legend Lionel Messi. The wonderkid has starred for United's U18s this campaign, excelling in the FA Youth Cup with four goals One of those strikes saw the talent run from his own half down the left flank to score against Everton with an astonishing solo goal. The fleet-footed forward was the third La Liga starlet join the club in 2020 signing from Atletico Madrid, after the arrivals of Marc Jurado from Barcelona and Alvaro Fernandez from Real Madrid. Garnacho was called the 'jewel' of Atletico's academy, and is working hard to emulate his idol growing up. He is obsessed by Cristiano Ronaldo, and even wore the same shirt number - No7 as his idol, although he's had to accept No11 with the Red Devils. Still, that didn't stop him celebrating that goal against Everton with CR7's famous 'SIUUU!' roar.

FORMER England striker Jermain Defoe has announced his retirement from football, aged 39. SunSport revealed on Tuesday that the ex-West Ham and Tottenham man was on the verge of calling time on his career. And, although his Sunderland contract is up at the end of the season, Defoe has confirmed his retirement from the sport with immediate effect. He took to social media to announce the news with a lengthy statement. Speaking on Twitter, he said: "After 22 years in the game, I have decided to retire from professional football. It's been a really tough decision, and one I have discussed with my family and those closest to me. "I made my professional debut at 17 years old in 1999, and I feel now is the right time to bow out. I have had an incredible journey, and have met some amazing people in the game. Thank you to all the fans from each club I've played for. The love I have received and endured throughout my career will never be forgotten, and I will always have a special bond with all of you. "Thank you also to my amazing team mates, coaches, and staff for playing such an integral part in my career.

AMR ZEDAN is reportedly the latest player bidding to take over Chelsea. The race to replace Roman Abramovich is heating up after offers were submitted to the Raine Group last week. Brit Nick Candy, American Todd Boehly, London-based Centricus, the Ricketts family and the Saudi Media Group are among those competing for ownership of Chelsea. And AP News claims Zedan is the latest to throw his hat in the ring as he looks to ‘secure further financing’ for a deal that could reach upwards of £3BILLION. But just who is the Saudi Arabian businessman? The 47-year-old is a serial venture capital investor with a keen interest in horses. Head of the Zedan Group, his bread and butter is the energy sector in Saudi Arabia. And Zedan’s net worth is estimated to be over £300million thanks to the company’s engineering expertise. Born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in Saudi Arabia, he is now married to a member of the Jordanian Royal family - Princess Noor Bint Asem, 38. She has a bachelor's degree in Political Communication from Emerson College, Massachusetts, and a master's degree in Positive Leadership and Strategy from the IE Business School, Madrid

Franz Beckenbauer The German center defender bears the nickname of “The Kaiser,” and is famous for inventing the “sweeper” position. He is also one of only two players to win the World Cup both as a player and a manager. Johan Cruyff Number eight on our list is Johan Cruyff, the Dutch “total footballer.” Cruyff trained in every position except goalkeeper and led Dutch club Ajax to their first three European cups. He patented the “Cruyff Turn,” a feinting maneuver. Zinedine Zidane. Zinedine Zidane Soccer This French legend helped France secure their only World Cup victory, in 1998. He is famed for his incredible ball-handling skills, and he scored one of the best goals in the history of the game in a 2002 Champions League match against Bayer Leverkusen. Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior. The young Brazilian superstar plays winger for Paris Saint-Germain. He has surpassed both Messi and Ronaldo at the same point in their careers, and many experts predicting he will be one of the best footballers ever

Ronaldo Nazario Known as O Fenomeno (the phenomenon) in Brazil, Ronaldo Nazario is held by many to be the greatest striker ever to play, landing him in our number four spot. He has been loved by all of the teams he has played for and has accrued nearly every personal honor in the sport. Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese winger for Real Madrid, has been named FIFA Player of the Year four times, boasts three Champion’s League trophies, a record-tying five Golden Balls, and is the only major-league player ever to score 50 goals in six consecutive seasons Alfredo di Stefano Alfredo di Stefano ranks number six on our list. During his 20-year-long career, the Argentine total footballer scored 307 goals with Real Madrid and st

Pele, Messi, Maradona, Nazario, and Ronaldo all make this list of the top ten soccer players in the world. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, aka Pelé Widely held to be the best player of all time, Pelé was named the best footballer of the 20th century by FIFA and was declared a national treasure by his native Brazil. Lionel Messi. An Argentine child soccer prodigy, Messi joined Barcelona at age 13 at the winger position. He is Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer, with 491 goals and 12 championship titles. He's also a five-time FIFA player-of–the–year award recipient. Diego Maradona Diego Maradona is number three on our list. The Argentine midfielder, famed for his dribbling and footwork, scored the “Goal of the Century” in the World Cup game against England, where he dribbled the ball all the way from Argentina’s half, past England’s team, and into the net.

The oldest NFL stadium still in use is Soldier Field in Chicago. Legends Football League promoters say that “lingerie football” (Legends Football League) is the fastest growing pro sports franchise in the country. Despite its popularity, critics say it degrades its athletes through “pernicious objectification. Americans eat approximately 1.25 billion chicken wings on Super Bowl weekend.

The average Super Bowl-watching party has at least 17 guests.[9] Super Bowl weekend is the second-biggest grilling weekend of the year. July 4th is the first. During Super Bowl halftime, there are an estimated 90 million toilet flushes. That’s equivalent to 180 million gallons of water flowing at once, or 3.5 minutes of flowing water on the Niagara Falls. Football Beer Americans drink 50 million cases of beer on Super Bowl weekend Americans drink 50 million cases of beer on Super Bowl weekend, which is a tab of more than $10.8 billion.

CHELSEA defender Antonio Rudiger has remarkably clocked the fastest speed of any Premier League player this season. The 29-year-old German has been imperious for the European champions since Thomas Tuchel took over at the beginning of 2021. And he even seems to have gotten quicker over the past year - proven by the 36.7km/h he recorded during Chelsea's game against Brighton. According to OptaJoe, Rudiger's lightning fast sprint means he has pipped Mohamed Salah to the quickest time recorded in the Prem so far this term. The Liverpool forward is second on the list with a speed of 36.6km/h. Wolves winger Adama Traore also clocked the same speed as Salah during the first half of the campaign before he returned to Barcelona on loan. Liverpool's newest centre-back Ibrahima Konate is next on the list at 36.2km/h. And he is closely followed by Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins and Leicester forward Patson Daka - both of whom have clocked 36.1km/h. Meanwhile, Chelsea could be set to lose the speedy Rudiger to Juventus at the end of the season. The centre-back's contract at Stamford Bridge expires in the summer.

WAYNE ROONEY and Patrick Vieira have become the latest two former players to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame. Last year, Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry were the first two inductees into the prestigious Prem club. Speaking about being inducted, Rooney, who won the Premier League five times, said: "It's a huge honour for me to be named in the Premier League Hall of Fame, alongside an incredible group of players who have already been inducted. "Growing up, I watched the Premier League as far back as I can remember. "My dream was always to become a professional footballer, score goals, and win trophies, and I was lucky enough to win the Premier League five times. And now Man Utd legend Rooney and Arsenal icon Vieira have become the newest two members. "I have so many brilliant memories from my years playing for Everton and Manchester United, and I'm really proud of what we achieved. To enter the Hall of Fame is very special for me personally and I'm grateful to be recognised." While Vieira, a three-time English champion, added: "Being inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame is a fantastic achievement. "When I received the news, I thought about being a young boy playing in Senegal, or in a suburb of Paris. "To be there with the best players in the Premier League, the best league in the world, is bigger than what I was ever thinking about. To have my name around those players makes me proud and makes me realise how good I was.

ON THE morning of February 24, Andriy Yarmolenko’s whole world collapsed. A day earlier, he had waved goodbye to his wife Inna and one of his kids as they flew back to Ukraine’s capital city Kyiv. Never in his wildest dreams did he envisage waking up in London to newsflashes of a Russian invasion and sudden fears his family and friends were in immediate danger. Speaking for the first time since the war started to Ukrainian YouTube channel ‘Football 1/2/3’, the West Ham forward, 32, said: “When it all started, on February 24, I arrived at training and couldn’t even talk.

ARSENAL are ready to quadruple Bukayo Saka’s salary to reflect his status as one of their most important players. The 20-year-old England star currently receives a basic wage of just £30,000-a-week, making him one of the lowest-paid players at the Emirates. But now the club are preparing to offer him a new weekly deal worth around £125,000 to end any speculation about a summer move. Manager Mikel Arteta has made securing Saka’s long-term future his top priority and has told the club they must keep their current Player of the Year at any price.

RIK TEN HAG is favourite to become Manchester United’s new boss - after a set of dossiers was completed on all candidates. The club have compiled exhaustive background checks on each of their possible targets, with the Ajax coach coming out well on top. Ten Hag and former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino were in a neck-and-neck race. But after the club spent weeks putting together their dossiers, they now believe it is Dutchman Ten Hag who can be the manager for at least the next five years - and take United back to the summit of English and European football. United want to be able to make an announcement before the end of the season so the new boss can hit the ground running ahead of a crucial summer of recruitment.