Football
Soccer — the money, the glory, and the lives on the pitch.
The Black Spider Who Caught Everything: Lev Yashin, the Only Goalkeeper to Win the Ballon d'Or
Lev Yashin (Лев Иванович Яшин) (October 22, 1929 — March 20, 1990) was a Soviet goalkeeper considered the grea…
The Fifth Beatle: How George Best's Genius Lit Up Football — and Why Alcohol Snuffed It Out
George Best (May 22, 1946 — November 25, 2005) was a Northern Irish footballer widely regarded as one of the…
Sócrates: The Doctor Who Captained Brazil's Greatest Team Never to Win
In the pantheon of Brazilian football, few figures are as fascinating as Sócrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza …
Just Fontaine: The 13-Goal Wonder Who Owns Football's Most Unbreakable Record
Just Louis Fontaine — known to the world simply as Just Fontaine — was a French football striker whose name…
The Black Spider: How Lev Yashin Became the Only Goalkeeper to Win the Ballon d'Or
Goalkeepers rarely get the glory. Forwards score the goals, midfielders dictate the tempo, defenders are celeb…
The Black Panther Who Conquered Europe: Eusebio's Story of Goals, Glory and the 1966 World Cup
Eusebio da Silva Ferreira – known to the world simply as Eusebio – was a Portuguese striker born in 1942…
The Sun That Never Sets — Sun Wen (孙雯), the FIFA Co-Player of the 20th Century
Sun Wen (孙雯) — born April 6, 1973 in Fujian, raised in Shanghai, China. In 1999, she won both the…
The Man Who Outran East Germany — But Not the Stasi
Lutz Eigendorf was one of East Germany’s finest footballers. Born in 1956 in Brandenburg, he was the midfield …
10.8 Seconds That Changed Everything: Hakan Şükür, the World Cup's Fastest Goal
Hakan Şükür — born September 1, 1971 in Adapazarı, Turkey. The fastest goal in World Cup history: 10.8 seconds…
She Fought Five Pro Bouts to Pay for Football Training — Barbra Banda
Barbra Banda — born March 20, 2000 in Lusaka, Zambia. Zambian women’s football forward. At the Tokyo 2020 Olym…
The Man Who Danced a Waltz in Front of the Nazis — Matthias Sindelar
Matthias Sindelar — born February 10, 1903 in Kozlov, Moravia. Died January 23, 1939 at age 35. Austrian footb…