Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players each, who primarily use their feet to propel a ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is to score more goals than the opposing team by moving the ball beyond the goal line into a rectangular-framed goal defended by the opposing team. Traditionally, the game has been played over two 45-minute halves, for a total match time of 90 minutes. With an estimated 250 million players active in over 200 countries and territories, it is the world's most popular sport.
The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is an international association football competition among the senior men's national teams of the members of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament has been held every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1930, with the exception of 1942 and 1946 due to the Second World War. The reigning champions are Argentina, who won their third title at the 2022 tournament.
Birgit Prinz is a German former footballer, two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion and three-time FIFA World Player of the Year. In addition to the German national team, Prinz played for 1. FFC Frankfurt in the Frauen-Bundesliga as well as the Carolina Courage in the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), the first professional women's league in the United States. Prinz remains one of the game's most prolific strikers and is the second FIFA Women's World Cup all-time leading scorer with 14 goals. In 2011, she announced the end of her active career. She currently works as a sport psychologist for the men's and women's teams of Bundesliga club TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
Ricardo Enrique Bochini is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He is nicknamed El Bocha. He spent his nearly twenty-year professional career at club Independiente, becoming one of the most emblematic players and the greatest idol in the history of the club. Bochini was a childhood idol of Argentine iconic footballer Diego Maradona.
Ubaldo Matildo Fillol, nicknamed el Pato, is an Argentine football coach and former goalkeeper. He took part in the 1974, 1978 and 1982 World Cups representing the Argentina national team. He also played in the South American qualifiers for the 1986 World Cup, but he was finally not chosen for the final team that played in Mexico. He is usually considered to be one of the greatest goalkeepers and is commonly cited among the best Argentine goalkeepers ever.
Hugo Orlando Gatti is an Argentine former professional football goalkeeper who played in the Argentine Primera División for 26 seasons and set a record of 765 league and 52 international appearances, totaling 817 games played. Gatti is the player with most appearances in the Argentine league ever.
Mariano Andújar is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Saskia Bartusiak is a German retired footballer. She played as a centre back.
Homare Sawa is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a forward or a midfielder. Regarded by many as one of the greatest female footballers of all time and the greatest Asian female footballer of all time, Sawa had a professional club career spanning 24 seasons, mostly with Nippon TV Beleza and INAC Kobe Leonessa. She also spent 22 years with the Japan national team, most notably captaining them to a FIFA Women's World Cup win in 2011 and an Olympic silver medal finish in 2012.
Mariana Valeria Larroquette is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a winger for the Orlando Pride of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the Argentina national team.
Valeria Tamara Cotelo is an Argentine women's international footballer who plays as a defender. She is a member of the Argentina women's national football team. She was part of the national team at the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup. At the club level, she plays for Boca Juniors in Argentina.
Carmen Brusca is an Argentine futsal player and a former footballer who played as a defender.
Catalina Itatí Pérez Castaño is an Argentine footballer who plays as a defender for River Plate. She is a former member of the Argentina women's national team.
Elisabeth Minnig is an Argentine retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper. She was a member of the Argentina women's national team.
Mariela Alejandra Ricotti is an Argentine women's international footballer who plays as a defender. She is a member of the Argentina women's national football team. She was part of the team at the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup. On club level she plays for Boca Juniors in Argentina.
Karina Noemí Alvariza is an Argentine women's international footballer who plays as a forward. She is a member of the Argentina women's national football team. She was part of the team at the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup. On club level she plays for Boca Juniors in Argentina.
Rosana Itatí Gómez is an Argentine football manager and former player and former futsal player. She manages the Bolivia women's national team. She played as a midfielder for the Argentina women's national team.
Nancy Díaz is an Argentine women's international footballer who plays as a defender. She is a member of the Argentina women's national football team. She was part of the team at the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup. On club level she plays for Boca Juniors in Argentina.
Sabrina Celeste Barbitta Nuño, known as Celeste Barbitta, is an Argentine footballer who plays as a defender. She was a member of the Argentina women's national team at two editions of the FIFA Women's World Cup.
María Elizabeth Villanueva is an Argentine women's international footballer who plays as a forward. She is a member of the Argentina women's national football team. She was part of the team at the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup. At the club level, she plays for Boca Juniors in Argentina.
