Suhrith Parthasarathy

The most famous teams from the Netherlands were glorious failures—at least to outsiders. In a nation that often prized an ideal over tangible results, some might have to come to terms with a new team that's two games away from the country's first World Cup title.

• By Suhrith Parthasarathy

Despite the country's lack of success on the international stage, Iran's relationship with soccer has always been an intimately political one.

• By Suhrith Parthasarathy