Is it legal to use one’s trunk to kick the ball?
Unforgettable
Brazil
All's Quiet in the Streets of Sao Paulo
A View from The Streets: How Brazilians Spend Game Day
Brazil, some say, is where the soul of football lives.
The passion of its loyal fan base is especially evident now during the World Cup. At one Brazilian family’s home in São Paulo, that passion is on full display.
VOA’s Ramon Taylor takes us inside that home:
Selfies with Players Latest Trend
Smile and Say “World Cup!”
Of the countless number of World Cup souvenirs in Brazil, the most sought-after may be one you can’t buy.
Selfies – taking a picture of yourself with a smartphone – have become immensely popular worldwide. So it’s no surprise that fans are coming to Brazil with cell phones in hand, hoping to get a selfie with their favorite player. And a lucky few have been able to do just that, and walk away with what may be the ultimate World Cup memento.
Brazilian President Dilma Roussef kicked off the trend with World Cup stadium construction workers:
Since then, fans have been seeking selfies with some of their favorite players – Javier Hernandez of Mexico:
Brazil’s Neymar:
Ecuador’s Jorge Guagua:
Italy’s Mario Balotelli:
Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon and Daniele De Rossi:
But it’s not just the players that are getting attention from fans – coaches, like Netherlands’ Louis Van Gaal, are too:
And even the players can get starstruck, resulting in a memorable photo. Take Germany’s Lukas Podolski, who was able to snag a selfie with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after Germany’s 4-0 rout of Portugal:
But the prize for best football selfie has to go to Team Mexico. Not only did they get a selfie with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto…
…they were able to fit the entire team into the photo!
World Cup Photo of the Day: June 18, 2014
Mexico’s goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa (13) bats the ball away after a header by Brazil’s Fred, left, during the Group A World Cup soccer match between Brazil and Mexico at the Arena Castelao in Fortaleza, Brazil, Tuesday, June 17, 2014. (AP | Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Brazil (0-0) Mexico
Brazil and Mexico Battle for Dominance in Group A (UPDATE: It’s a Tie!)
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Top: Team Mexico (Reuters | Tomas Bravo); Bottom: Team Brazil (Reuters | Paulo Whitaker)
UPDATE: As it turns out, both Brazil and Mexico end the day at the top of Group A (although Brazil has scored more goals) after the second tie in as many days at the World Cup.
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While teams in Group H have yet to play their first World Cup match, Brazil and Mexico will each play their second match of the tournament when they face off today at 3 PM ET (7 PM UTC). On the line is a chance to claim first place overall in Group A – both Brazil and Mexico come into this match after wins over Croatia and Cameroon, respectively. Who will claim the lead in Group A when the 90 minutes are up?
For play-by-play, minute-by-minute coverage of every ball touch, throw-in, direct kick, indirect kick, yellow card, red card, corner kick, goal kick and every other possible football feat in every World Cup match, tap into VOA’s multilingual, multinational analysis.
Click here to follow the action live, or follow along on Facebook, or on Twitter with #WorldCupVOA.
And for even more exclusive VOA coverage with a special focus on Africa’s national teams, check out VOA’s Francophone blog.