Rules of the Game: A goalkeeper must wear colors that distinguish him or her from the other players, the referee and the assistant referees.
Soccer has its roots in ancient games like Cuju, which was popular in China around 400 BC.
The mascot for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany was a lion named Goleo VI. He had a talking soccer ball sidekick named Pille.
The Oceania Football Confederation consists of New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and nine other Pacific island nations.
Columbus Crew Stadium, opened in 1999, was the first major soccer specific stadium in the U.S..