Football (Soccer)

Status: draft · Confidence: low (0.36) · Basis: verified_sources

Quality notes: no_verified_sources, partial_source_verification

## TL;DR

Football (soccer) is the world's most popular sport, played by 250+ million in 200+ countries. Modern rules codified by FA (England, 1863). FIFA governs globally. FIFA World Cup: most-watched sporting event (3.5 billion viewers, 2022). Key competitions: Premier League, La Liga, Champions League, Copa Libertadores.

## Core Explanation

Rules: 11 players per side, 90 minutes, offside (attacker beyond last defender when ball played). Positions: goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders, forwards. Formations: 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 3-5-2 — strategic evolution. Legends: Pelé (3 World Cups), Maradona, Messi (8 Ballon d'Or), Cristiano Ronaldo. World Cup winners: Brazil (5), Germany/Italy (4), Argentina (3, 2022).

## Further Reading

- [Inverting the Pyramid (Jonathan Wilson)](https://www.hatchards.co.uk/book/jonathan-wilson/inverting-the-pyramid/9781409128649)
atomic_facts:
  - id: "fact-sports-001"
    statement: "Football (soccer) is the world's most popular sport, played by 250+ million in 200+ countries"
    confidence: "medium"
  - id: "fact-sports-002"
    statement: "FIFA World Cup: most-watched sporting event (3.5 billion viewers, 2022)"
    confidence: "medium"
  - id: "fact-sports-003"
    statement: "World Cup winners: Brazil (5), Germany/Italy (4), Argentina (3, 2022)"
    confidence: "medium"

## Related Articles

- [Football (Soccer) Analytics: Expected Goals (xG) and Tactical Data Science](../football-soccer-analytics-expected-goals-xg-and-tactical-data-science.md)
- [Football (Soccer) Tactics and Formations](../football-tactics.md)