Soccer
The U.S. Soccer Federation Claims the Women's Team Actually Earns More Than the Men's Team, Prompting Backlash
Both the men's and women's national teams have disputed the USSF's claims.
The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team Is the Best in the World and Still Can't Get Equal Pay
The United States Soccer Federation has argued the women generate less revenue—a claim that is not supported by the current evidence.
The U.S. Women's Soccer Team Lawsuit Is the Latest to Illuminate the Astounding Wage Gap in Professional Sports
All 28 members of the team are suing the U.S. Soccer Federation for gender discrimination, arguing that they are paid less than their male peers despite having the same job responsibilities and achieving superior results.
Field Notes: Preparing for a Women's Soccer Match in Tanzania
Jumbi, Zanzibar, Tanzania: The Green Queens warm up ahead of a match. Men on the island have long resisted women's presence on the field, but a small cadre is challenging traditional gender norms.
Viewfinder: Football Fans Clash With French Police
Tear gas envelops Marseille football supporters during clashes with French security officials on a street in Marseille, France, on October 25th, 2018, ahead of a match with Italian club Lazio.
France's World Cup Win Highlights the Country's Complicated History With Race and Class
The victory calls attention to the role of racein the selection of national players.
Viewfinder: Players Celebrate France's World Cup Final Victory Over Croatia
Presnel Kimpembe and Thomas Lemar of France celebrate in the rain after victory in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Viewfinder: Croatia Beat England to Advance to Its First-Ever World Cup Final
Croatian football players celebrate after winning the Russia 2018 World Cup semi-final against England.
Viewfinder: Cheering for the Rescue of the Thai Soccer Team
Onlookers cheer as ambulances deliver boys rescued from a cave in northern Thailand to a hospital on July 8th, 2018, in Chiang Rai, Thailand.
Is There Any Real Economic Benefit to Hosting a World Cup?
We spoke with four economists about Russia's claims of a World Cup-related financial windfall. They were all skeptical.
PS Picks: Ken Bensinger Shows FIFA a Red
PS Picks is a selection of the best things that the magazine's staff and contributors are reading, watching, or otherwise paying attention to in the worlds of art, politics, and culture.
The Lede, Issue #20: Responding to the Fukushima Accident, Bringing Back the Grizzly, FIFA Corruption, and More
An exclusive newsletter that gives premium members greater access to Pacific Standard stories, staff, and contributors in their inbox every Sunday morning
Viewfinder: Elephants Celebrate the World Cup in Thailand
Elephants participate in a football game to kick off the World Cup fever as part of an anti-gambling campaign at the ancient Thai city of Ayutthaya on June 13th, 2018.
Viewfinder: The 2018 FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony in Moscow
A dancer looks on during the opening ceremony prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group A match between Russia and Saudi Arabia at Luzhniki Stadium on June 14th, 2018, in Moscow, Russia.
Viewfinder: Soccer Fans in Syria
Syrians celebrate in Damascus' Umayyad Square on October 5th, 2017, after Syria's national soccer team scored in its match against Australia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifier.
Television News Covers Women’s Sports Less Today Than It Did 25 Years Ago
More women are playing sports and more people are watching them do so than ever before (just look at audience figures for this year's Women's World Cup), but you wouldn’t know it from the “mediated man cave” that is American sports media.
World Cup Fever
For many, the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games represent missed opportunities to tackle health problems and inequality.
The History of Dutch Soccer and Not Playing to Win
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.
Why Germany Wants to Look Like Its Soccer Team
In a country where immigrants haven't always been welcome, politicians champion Die Mannschaft as an integrated model of diversity.
The Calm, Steady, Reliable Greece
Sometimes a national team looks nothing like the country it represents.
How Does Immigration Affect the Teams at the World Cup?
The number of immigrants in a country doesn't seem to have an effect on how diverse its national team is. If anything, it appears that ethnic and racial minorities get pushed toward soccer.
How Italian Will Italy Be After the World Cup?
The idea of Italian identity has always been a weak one, and the brief, oncer-every-four-years flirtation with the national team just brings those issues into sharper focus.
How Soccer Came to Define Brazil
The massive, multicultural, multiracial nation initially struggled to find a uniting identity—until everyone started playing and watching the sport brought over by the British.