Osvaldo Alonso's dream is no different than that of many soccer players: He wants to play in the World Cup. And by most estimates the tenacious midfielder has the ability to make that happen. But in Alonso's case, even exceptional talent and desire haven't been enough to overcome one obstacle that remains in his path. For the last 16 months, politics have kept Alonso from even trying out for the U.S. national team, which last month earned a berth in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Twenty-five years ago, Ted Turner and Bob Wussler answered an emergency call from the Soviet Union. On the other end were Kim Bohuny and Mike Fratello, pleading from inside a lightless cement bunker, deep behind Soviet lines. They had a simple request. Food. And water.

Skateistan is a skating and education project based in Kabul, Afghanistan. It was set up by Oliver Percovich in 2007 and teaches children from all socio-economic backgrounds to skateboard. About 40% of its members are girls – a rarity in a country where until recently, women were banned from participating in sport. Some of the images featured here are from a new book Skateistan: The Tale of Skateboarding in Afghanistan.

The Cuban Government’s anouncemnt thru GRANMA (the official newspaper of Cuba’s Communist Party) says that athletes will be able to sign contracts abroad as long as they “fulfill their obligations at home.” Said obligations were characterized thusly: ”It will be taken into account that they are in Cuba for the fundamental competitions of the year.” This suggests that Cuban athletes will still be required to play for the national team and tournaments.

For the past week the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup has enraptured Tahiti. There have been sell-out crowds at the To’ata stadium in Papeete and a carnival atmosphere has pervaded throughout the famed holiday destination. Normally, however, the sport which garners the most attention in French Polynesia is va’a, the traditional Polynesian paddling pastime. Now the two events have merged on one special afternoon on Papeete harbour.

Dozens of Nepalese migrant labourers have died in Qatar in recent weeks and thousands more are enduring appalling labour abuses, a Guardian investigation has found, raising serious questions about Qatar's preparations to host the 2022 World Cup. This summer, Nepalese workers died at a rate of almost one a day in Qatar, many of them young men who had sudden heart attacks.

Citing Afghans’ “exuberant” display of national unity and pride at the war-wracked country’s victory in a regional football championship as a “welcome sign” on the gradual path to normalcy, the top United Nations envoy there today also pointed to other recent political and security gains despite major challenges.

For Yuki Ota, who won Olympic silver for fencing in Beijing in 2008 and again in London in 2012, Tokyo’s winning bid for the 2020 Summer Games and Paralympics was like receiving his first gold medal.