Soccer

U.S. coach Jürgen Klinsmann studies the play during a World Cup qualifier between his squad and Trinidad and Tobago in November in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

World Cup Qualifying: U.S. Men's Team — And Its Coach — Get Much-Needed Win

9:43pm March 29, 2016

by Kevin Beesley

Coach Jürgen Klinsmann's squad beat Guatemala 4-0 to advance to the next round of qualifying matches for the 2018 World Cup. The win also may quell calls for Klinsmann to be fired.

Fans of Chinese Super League club Beijing Guoan celebrate after a goal against Chongqing Lifan on June 28, 2015.

Time, Money, Ambition: Inside China's Bid For Global Soccer Power

10:21am March 05, 2016

by Laura Wagner

China's Super League is signing international stars for huge sums. Given government interest, investor enthusiasm and an enormous potential fan base, could Chinese soccer be the sport's next force?

U.S. soccer player Brandi Chastain clears the ball during a friendly match against Iceland in 2004.

Soccer Star Brandi Chastain Says She Will Donate Her Brain To Science

12:50pm March 03, 2016

by Eyder Peralta

Researchers have had few female brains with which to study a degenerative brain disease that is linked to repeated blows to the head.

A worker cleans the stage during a break at the FIFA electoral congress on Friday in Zurich.

After Approving Anti-Corruption Reforms, FIFA Members Elect New President

2:08pm February 26, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

After the reforms approved earlier Friday, Switzerland's Gianni Infantino will have fewer powers than outgoing President Sepp Blatter. Blatter, disgraced by a bribery scandal, isn't in attendance.

U.S. forward Abby Wambach waves to fans at the end of a practice session Tuesday in New Orleans for Wednesday's final U.S. victory tour match, against China. Wambach will be playing in her final match with the team.

Soccer Star Abby Wambach Prepares For Her Final Game

1:27pm December 16, 2015

by Russell Lewis

Wambach leads the U.S. women's national team into a Victory Tour match against China in New Orleans tonight. Then, she'll retire after a career full of team championships and personal achievements.

Abby Wambach of the U.S. women's national soccer team (right) stands with teammates during a practice in October. The team canceled a friendly match against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday because of the poor state of the artificial turf.

U.S. Women's Soccer Team Cancels Game Over Poor Field Conditions

7:18pm December 07, 2015

by Laura Wagner

For the World Cup winners, the cancellation is the latest in a series of events that highlight disparities between men's and women's soccer in the U.S.

Kamala in front of the hut where she sleeps when she has her period. Kamala told us, "I'm afraid of snakes and men."

What Our Reporters Learned From The World's Teenage Girls: #15Girls

7:03am November 14, 2015

by NPR Staff

The girls we met shook up our ideas about everything: menstruation, child brides, soccer, school, whether parents favor boys over girls.

Girls start the day with a prayer at the Veerni Institute in Jodhpur, India. It's a boarding school where nearly half the students are child brides.

Health & Safety

Child Brides, Syrian Refugees: These Groups May Be Able To Help: #15Girls

3:35pm November 13, 2015

by Malaka Gharib

You wanted to know what you could do to make life better for the teen girls in our series. We have a list of groups you might consider contacting.

In this photo from July 13, 2011, Abby Wambach celebrates scoring her side's second goal during a semifinal match against France at the Women's World Cup in Germany. Wambach, the leading career scorer, male or female, in international soccer, announced he

Abby Wambach, U.S. Women's Soccer Star, Retires

5:25pm October 27, 2015

by Laura Wagner

Shortly after Wambach and the rest of the World Cup-winning U.S. national team were honored at the White House, Wambach announced her plans to retire from soccer.

Soccer buddies Lahis Maria Ramos Veras, 14 (left), and Milena Medeiros dos Santos, 16, don't let taunts keep them from playing. Lahis goes by the nickname "Lala."

Mean Boys Can't Keep Girls Off The Soccer Field: #15Girls

4:57pm October 23, 2015

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

Brazil used to ban girls from playing the game. The law is now off the books, but that doesn't mean it's easy for girls to play 'the beautiful game.'

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