Some of the world’s best soccer players are gathered in Brazil for the 2014 World Cup, which begins next week. But during the rest of the year, the 736 players who are members of national teams play on club teams around the world in 53 different countries. Pew Research analyzed the final rosters for each of the 32 qualifying nations posted to FIFA’s official website and found a total of 476 players (65%) who currently play for clubs in countries outside of their World Cup nation. 

A disclosure by British weekly The Sunday Times of millions of documents allegedly revealing massive Qatari vote buying in the Gulf state's successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup could rejigger the Gulf's fragile balance of power, reverse hopes that Qatar would initiate significant social change in the region, and return the worst corruption crisis in global soccer governance to the top of the agenda.

Diplomats accredited to Bucharest have taken diplomacy to the field, competing in football, basketball and tennis games organized as part of the largest diplomatic competition in the country last week-end.The cycling tour organized by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the most successful, reports local Digi24. Almost 100 Romanian and foreign diplomats took part in the competition, including Russia’s Vice Commissioner Alexey Zamilatskiy, and the Romanian minister Titus Corlatean.

From 23 to 25 May 2014 a Workshop for the training of the International Arbiters was organized in Moscow, Russia, by the Russi

Is FIFA being shamed sufficiently to seriously consider moving the 2022 World Cup out of Qatar? Don’t bet on it, though the recent admission by FIFA boss Sepp Blatter that awarding the World Cup to Qatar was “a mistake” has renewed focus on the small Gulf state’s attempt to host the world’s premier sporting event. FIFA was quick to “clarify” Blatter’s remarks, saying the president’s comment only pertained to weather.

The wild world of professional wrestling is heading to North Korea.The authoritarian nation locked in a long stand-off with its neighbours and the United States over its nuclear bomb ambitions yesterday announced plans for an international pro-wrestling match in the capital, Pyongyang, in late August. “World renowned pro-wrestlers” from Japan, the US and other countries will take part, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said. It provided few other details.