Football

             Football, also called “soccer” is the most popular sport on the planet. From Brasilia to Tokyo, London to Canberra , Ottawa to Kathmandu there is no place on earth that has not been graced by the game they call “the beautiful game” . It is played by everyone and transcends all boundaries, borders, languages, religion,gender, colour and race.

         
           Two teams of 11 players(excluding substitutes) each take part in a football match.

They attempt to send a round ball into their opponent’s goal. A successful attempt is called “scoring a goal”. The team with the most number of goal within the 90 minutes of playing time(divided into two halves of 45 minutes with some additional time called “injury or added time”) wins the match. Players use their feet, head or any other part of the body except for the hands and arms to propel or control the ball. One player from each side, the goalkeeper, may handle the ball, but only in a restricted area around the goal called the “D-box”. There is considerable physical contact as opposing players contest possession of the ball.

         
         Football as it is played today began in England in the mid 1800’s.The governing body for world football, Fedration Internationale de Football(FIFA) was established in 1904. FIFA stages the biggest event in world football i.e. Football World Cup every four years which it started in 1930.Spain are the current World Cup Champions having won the FIFA World Cup 2010 which was held in South Africa.