Soccer

Soccer, also known as football in most countries outside of North America, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players each. The objective of the game is to score goals by getting a spherical ball into the opposing team’s net, using primarily the feet, but also allowing other body parts excluding the arms and hands (except for the goalkeeper). The game is played on a rectangular field known as a pitch, with a goal at each end.

Soccer is governed by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) at the international level and is one of the most popular and widely played sports in the world. Matches are typically played in two halves of 45 minutes each, with a brief halftime interval. The team with the most goals at the end of the match wins, although if the match is tied, it may go to extra time or a penalty shootout, depending on the competition rules.

The sport emphasizes teamwork, skill, and strategy and has various professional leagues around the world, with international competitions such as the FIFA World Cup showcasing the best teams and players globally.