Soccer

Soccer, also known as football in most countries outside North America, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players each, on a rectangular field with a goal at each end. The objective of the game is to score by getting the ball into the opposing team’s goal. Players primarily use their feet to control and kick the ball, although they can use any part of their body except their arms and hands (goalkeepers are the exception, as they can use their hands within their penalty area).

Soccer is governed by a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game, established by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The game is typically played in two halves of 45 minutes, with a halftime break in between. The team that scores the most goals wins the match; if both teams score an equal number, the match is considered a draw.

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, with an estimated 4 billion fans and numerous professional leagues and international competitions, including the FIFA World Cup, which is held every four years and features national teams from around the globe.