Soccer

Soccer, 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 maneuver the ball, but they can also use other parts of their bodies except their hands and arms; the goalkeeper is the only player permitted to handle the ball within the designated penalty area. The game is governed by a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game, established by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). Soccer is the world’s most popular sport, with a massive global following, numerous professional leagues, and prestigious tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup. Matches are played in two halves, each lasting 45 minutes, with the possibility of additional time for stoppages. The team with the most goals at the end of the match wins; if the match is tied in certain competitions, it may go to extra time or a penalty shootout.