Rules of the Game: A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in.
Each FIFA World Cup since 1966 has its own mascot, starting with World Cup Willie (a lion).
The mascot for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France was a cockerel (or rooster) named Footix.
Unlike the Olympics, FIFA recognizes the four Home Nations of the United Kingdom - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland- as separate entities.
The name soccer comes from association football, which is the sport's formal name.