Andrew DownieFebruary 25, 2013 07:00

SAO PAULO — Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of Brazilian soccer knows the players who have lit up the field over the last half-century. Pele, Ronaldo, Zico and Romario may go by just one name, but they need no introduction. The spectacle is no less heart-stopping in the stands, from the crackle and boom of fireworks to the shirtless hordes chanting support for their teams. However, many worry that the construction of new stadiums is threatening to tear the heart and soul from the beautiful game.

Jessica PhelanDecember 4, 2012 12:54

Eritrea's national soccer team disappears, believed defected

Almost the entire Eritrean squad is missing after a tournament in Uganda.

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In December 2009 a dozen players from Eritrea's national football team (above) went missing after a competition in Kenya. Now, 17 members of the national squad have disappeared after playing a tournament in Uganda. (Stringer/AFP/Getty Images)

Most of Eritrea's national soccer team has disappeared, believed to have defected after a tournament in Uganda.

Seventeen of the squad's 22 players, plus the team doctor, failed to turn up for their flight home today, BBC Sport reported.

They haven't been seen since Sunday, the day after they played their final match in the Cecafa Cup, a regional tournament organized by the the Council for East and Central Africa Football Association and held this year in the Ugandan capital, Kampala.

Daniel DeFraiaSeptember 17, 2012 14:23

The Manchester-Arsenal dialectic

As the English Premier League turns 20, two teams present divergent paths for soccer’s future.

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Europe's best coaches pose for a family photo on Sept. 5, 2012, during the Elite Football Club Coaches Forum at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. At the meeting Arsenal's coach Arsene Wenger repeated his plea for "Financial Fair Play'' regulations. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)

To watch the EPL is to witness a televised existential crisis. There’s a soul-searching tug-of-war going on, and nowhere is this best reflected than in the difference between the teams Arsenal and Manchester City.

USA vs. Mexico: The rivalry

Daniel DeFraiaAugust 15, 2012 13:37

They call it a "friendly." But it's not.

Mexico feels bold after Olympic gold

David AgrenAugust 15, 2012 06:00

MEXICO CITY — Beer flowed early in Mexico City bars and restaurants as fans gathered to watch the London Olympic men's soccer final on Saturday. Such matches usually leave a bitter taste for fans used to watching Mexico flop over the past two decades. But fans tasted something different in the gold-medal match: international soccer success, beating five-time World Cup champion Brazil 2-1 in London and burying decades of “futbol” futility.

Rob Wile, Business InsiderJune 22, 2012 14:52

Greece versus Germany: The two countries go head to head off the soccer field

Greece and Germany are compared side by side in this infographic made by Canada's National Post.

this story is part of globalpost's continuing coverage of world business. for more visit our new business page.

In advance of this weekend's epic Germany-Greece tilt for the Eurocup semis, the wizards at Canada's National Post created this stunning infographic laying out all the differences between the two countries.

Euro 2012’s England vs. Ukraine match is freighted with past disappointments

Michael GoldfarbJune 20, 2012 12:47

When England plays in a major tournament, the country comes to a standstill. Hope with an asterisk triumphs over experience. People fill the pubs, supermarkets are denuded of cans of lager as those with family responsibility sit down in front of the telly and fervently try to believe that this time will be different.

News DeskJune 20, 2012 08:41

Didier Drogba signs with Shanghai Shenhua, Chinese football club

Didier Drogba signed a two-and-a-half year deal with Shanghai Shenhua, saying he hopes to improve China-Africa ties and promote Chinese football.

shanghai shenhua didier drogba 2012-06-20

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Chelsea's Ivorian striker Didier Drogba gestures during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Wigan Athletic at Stamford Bridge in London, on April 7, 2012. Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba said on June 20, 2012 that he had formally signed with Chinese Super League soccer club Shanghai Shenhua. (GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

Shanghai Shenhua — the name means "Flower of Shanghai" — were the first football club in China to become independent of government control.

Egypt: 75 people charged over deadly Port Said soccer riot

Jessica PhelanMarch 15, 2012 08:59

The defendants include nine police officers and three officials from the Al Masry soccer club, at whose grounds the match was played.

Erin Conway-SmithFebruary 24, 2012 19:40

Ghana soccer coach Goran Stevanovic accuses players of witchcraft

A leaked report on the Black Stars' failures at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations revealed coach Goran Stevanovic's comments on the Ghana team, according to the BBC.

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Ghana's Serbian coach Goran Stevanovic reacts during the third-place playoff Africa Cup of Nations football match between Mali and Ghana, in Malabo, on Febuary 11, 2012. Mali won the match 2-0. (ALEXANDER JOE/AFP/Getty Images)

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Ghana soccer coach Goran Stevanovic has blamed rifts in the national squad on players using witchcraft against each other, according to a BBC report from Accra.

A leaked report on the Black Stars' failures at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations revealed the Serbian's comments, the BBC said.

Ghana had been a favorite at the soccer tournament, but the team was beaten by eventual winners Zambia in the semi-finals.