1.
Soccer
Debraj Das
Xii B

2.
It was considered valuable to discussthe
Draft matter withsubjectexperts for
technical accuracy of contents. To elicit their
critical views & constructive suggestions, I
acknowledge themwith all my heart for their
continuous support.
I’m highly grateful to our Principal Sir,
Dr. A.K. Gaur and our Physical Education
teacher, Mr. R.P. Singh for postulating us
withtheproject on Soccer.
Finally, I thankmy parents for allowing me
to work at oddtimings and my friends for
the criticismwhichprovedveryhelpful for
removing the faultsout frommy project.

3.
There are various assumptions regarding the origin of
soccer. Some allude that it was played in China during 2 &
3 centuries. Others aver that soccer was famous in Rome.
Some ancient Egyptian rites also have similarities with
football. Both the ancient Greeks & Romans played a game
in which a ball had to be kicked around.
But modern soccer was developed in England. In 1863,
football came to be known as "Association Football”. New
rules & regulations were set & became more professional
with the formation of FIFA in 1904 in Paris.
It became an official competition at the 1908London
Olympics in which “Great Britain won the Gold medal.
FIFA President “JULES RIMET” then decided to stage an
international tournament outside of the Olympics. On May
28, 1928, the FIFA Congress in Amsterdam decided to
stage a world championship.
In 1930, Uruguay hosted the first World Cup in which 13
teams took part. The hosts, “URUGUAY” became the first
nation to win the World Cup, defeating Argentina by 4-2.

4.
The history of the soccer ball dates back to ancient times. From
a couple centuries BC to about 200 AD, the Chinese used balls
made from animal skins in a game called ‘tsu chu‘.
It wasn't until the 20th century that most soccer balls were made
out of rubber. Charles Goodyear in 1855 created the first
vulcanized rubber soccer ball similar to basketball. Before that,
the soccer ball game was at the mercy of the size & shape of the
pig's bladder. In 1862, H. J. Lindon developed an inflatable
rubber bladder. Now the soccer ball would be easier to kick.
And it could endure the regiments of the game without losing
its shape.
By the 1900's, soccer's growing popularity demanded that balls
be strong enough to withstand the roughest play. Up until now
most soccer balls were made from rubber bladders, and from
leather-covered inner tubes. Covers were constructed of tanned
leather carefully hand-stitched together in 18 sections of six
panels, with three strips per panel, and with a small slit on one
side allowing for an inflated bladder to be inserted into it. In
1951 soccer enjoyed better visibility with the official
introduction of the white soccer ball which was made white
simply by whitewashing the leather. The "Buckeyball",
designed by architect R. Buckminster Fuller, lends its name to
the evolution of the synthetic soccer ball. In fact it became the
model from which the modern soccer ball is mass-produced to
this day. Twenty hexagonal, and 12 pentagonal pieces were
fitted and stitched together to form a sphere. Adidas Telstar,
the first World Cup Buckminster model soccer ball were used
in Mexico's 1970 World Cup. The official FIFA World Cup
soccer ball for Germany 2006 matches was the 14-panel Adidas
+ Teamgeist is a thermally bonded machine-pressed ball, rather
than a traditionally stitched one.

5.
Field surface
Matches may be played on natural or artificial
surfaces. The colour of the artificial surface
must be green & meet the requirements of the
International Artificial Turf Standard.
 Field markings
The field must be rectangular & marked with
lines. The two longer boundary lines are
called “Touch Lines” and the two shorter
boundary lines are called “Goal Lines”. A
centre is marked to indicate the midpoint of
half-way line. A circle is marked around it.
Marks may be made off the field of play,
9.15m from the corner arc & at right angles
to the goal lines and the touch lines, to ensure
that the defending players retreat this distance
when a corner kick is being taken.

6.
Dimensions
Lengthof playfield: 100-200 yards
Breadth of playfield: 50-100 yards
Height of the goalposts: 8 feet
Height of the flagposts: 5 feet
Radiusof the cornerarc: 1 metre
Radiusof the center circle: 10 yards
Distance b/w two goalposts: 8 yards

7.
The ball should :
be spherical.
be made of leather or other
suitable material.
be of circumference not more
than 70 cm
(28 in) and not less than 68 cm
(27 in).
weigh between 450gm (14oz) to
410gm (16oz)
before the start of the match.
be of pressure equal to 0.6 to 1.1
atm. at sea
level.
bear the official “FIFA

8.
Football has come a long way since its first laws were drawn up
In London in 1863. That historic meeting at the Freemasons'
Tavern led not only to the foundation of the Football
Association but, moreover, to the game's inaugural set of
common rules. The first set of laws governing the game was
drafted by Ebenezer Cobb Morley. He devised 14 laws which
became the basis for the first set of rules of soccer. His aim was
to make a distinction between soccer & rugby.
1863: The Cambridge Rules are rewritten to provide the game's
first uniform regulations.
1866: The offside law is changed to allow players to be onside
provided there are 3 players between the ball & the goal.
1882: The associations in Great Britain unify their rules & form
the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to
control the laws of the game.
1886: The first official meeting of the IFAB takes place.
1891: Introduction of the penalty-kick.
1913: FIFA becomes a member of the IFAB.
1925: Amendment of the offside rule from three to two players.
1938: The present Laws of the Game are framed in a new
system of codification, based on the Laws previously in
force.
1958: Substitutes are permitted for the first time, albeit only for
an injured goalkeeper and one other injured player.
1970: The system of red and yellow cards is introduced for the
1970 World Cup finals.
1990: The offside law is changed in favour of the attacker, who is
now onside if level with the penultimate defender.
1992: Goalkeepers are forbidden from handing back-passes.
1994: The technical area is introduced into the Laws of the Game,
with the Fourth Official following the next year.
1996: Linesmen are renamed Assistant Referees.

9.
Soccer or Football is a ball
game played by
two teams, each of not more
than 11
players including the
goalkeeper
(excluding substitutes). The
object of the
game is to put the ball into the
opponent’s
goal & winning team is the
one that scores
the maximum number of goals
in the given

10.
Officials
(a) Referee: Each match is controlled by a
referee who has
the full authority to enforce the laws of
the game in
connection with the match to which he
has been
appointed . He enforces the laws of the
game and acts as
time keeper & keeps the record of the
match. He takes
the actions against any player if he/she
commits any
offence or breaks any rules of the game.
He may take the
help of the assistant referees if required
can change
his decision before the restart of the
match.
(b) Linesmen: They are the 2 assistant
referees, one on each
touchline. They indicate when the ball is
out of the field &
which team has the right to throw in or
take the corner
kick. He may also draw attention to any

11.
Duration
The game is played in 2 halves of 45 mins. eac
interval of 5 mins. In case of draw, extra time
in two halves of 15 mins. is given with an inte
If in interval also, both the remains draw or a
in taking lead over the other, then 5 penalty k
to each team. Only the kicker and opposing g
stand in the penalty box, creating a one-on-o
other players must remain in the center circle
Start of the game
The two captains toss a coin & the winner de
opt for starting of the game or selecting the s
playfield. Game is always started with the Kic
centre of the field into the opponent field of p
whistle of the referee. At the time of the Kick-
should remain in their own half.
Substitutions
Before the match each team is permitted to n
substitutes of which only 3 players can be su
a match. A player is substituted only during a
game & the replaced player takes no further

12.
Throwin
A throw in is taken along the touch line at the
ball went out of play. It’s awarded against the
touched the ball before it went out of the play
be thrown into the play with both hands, from
the head. with a part of each foot either on th
the ground outside the touch line. The throw
the ball again until it has touched another pla
play immediately when it enters the field of p
Off side
An attacking player is off-side if, when the ba
by one of his own teammate, he is nearer to t
goal line and he does not have at least two o
or nearer to the goal line, including the oppo
goalkeeper. Moreover if if a player receives th
from the throw-in, corner-kick or goal-kick h
given offside. A player in an offside position
at that moment when anyone of his/her team
the ball. The rule was made to prevent teams
unfair advantage by keeping a player in an of

13.
Fouls
A foul is an unfair act by a player which is
deemed by the
referee to contravene the Laws of the Game.
There are 2
kinds of soccer fouls, ‘Direct Kick Fouls’ and
‘Indirect Kick
Fouls.
I)Direct Kick Fouls: Direct Kick Soccer Fouls
are soccer fouls
for which team fouled receives a "direct free
kick" (means
goal can be scored by kicking the ball
straight into the goal) or
a "penalty kick“ if the foul occurs within the
Penalty Box. There
are 10 direct kick fouls. Some are:
Kicking, tripping or attempting to kick or trip
an opponent.
Charging into an opponent
Striking or pushing an opponent, including
the goalkeeper
Jumping at an opponent in a careless or
reckless manner or

14.
II)Indirect Kick Fouls for all Players: Indirect Kic
are soccer fouls for which the fouled team re
free kick" (means a goal only counts if anoth
the ball before it enters the goal). There are f
"Dangerous Play“ or playing in a dangerous m
action by a player that in the judgment of the
dangerous to himself or to another player an
"direct kick foul“
A player cannot use his/her body to impede a
movements, even if it is not deliberate. This c
player is not within "playing distance" of the
and block's an opponent's movement or scre
from the ball.
Preventing the opponent team’s goalkeeper fr
the ball from his hands.
For "unsporting behavior", "dissent", “persis
the rules”, “offensive or threatening languag
III)Indirect Kick Fouls for Goalkeeper: They are
the goalkeeper and only if committed inside
Handling the ball for more than 6 sec before r
Handling a pass by his/her teammate
Receiving the ball with hands directly on a thr
teammate
Intentionally handling the ball after releasing
possession, before touching another player

15.
FreeKick
A free kick is awarded to a team for an offenc
player. Depending upon the offence committ
may award following kicks:
I) Indirect Free Kick: In an indirect free kick, the
touch another player other than the player tak
before it enters the goal. An indirect free kick
the opposing team if a player:
 Plays in a dangerous manner
Impedes the progress of an opponent
Prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ba
An indirect free kick is also awarded to the op
goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area:
Handles the ball for more than 6 sec before re
Handles a pass by his/her teammate
Receives the ball with hands directly on a thro
teammate
Intentionally handles the ball after releasing it
possession, before touching another player

16.
II) Direct Free Kick: The direct free kick gives t
the kick the opportunity to score a goal "dire
kick being awarded. A direct free kick is awa
opposing team if a player:
Kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
Trips or attempts to trip an opponent
Jumps at an opponent
Charges an opponent
 Strikes or attempts to strike an opponent
 Pushes an opponent
Makes contact with a opponent before tochin
Holds an opponent
 Spits at an opponent
 Handles the ball deliberately (except for the g
his own penalty area)
 Goal Kick
A goal kick is awarded to the defending team
crosses its Goal line (except b/w the goalpos
touch by an opponent. The kick may be take
the defending team including goalkeeper. Th
with the half of the Goal area nearer to the p
crossed the Goal line. The ball comes into th
the is kicked beyond the Penalty area. A goa
directly from a Goal kick.

17.
 Corner Kick
A corner kick is awarded to the attacking tea
crosses the Goal line (except b/w the goalpo
touch by the defending team. Corner kicks a
the ‘Corner Circle’ without moving the corne
Opponents must remain 10 yards away until
been taken. A goal can be scored direct from
but the kicker must not play the ball a secon
has been touched by another player.
 Penalty Kick
A Penalty Kick is awarded to to the opposing
defending player commits foul in his own Pe
Penalty kick is taken from the Penalty Spot w
in front of the centre of the Goal line. Except
kicker and the defending team’s goalkeeper,
outside the Penalty Area. The kicker must st
yards from the Penalty Spot. Once the ball m
considered in play and cannot be touched b
until touched by another player, except the g
goalkeeper can move on the Goal line at the
Kick which was not allowed earlier.

18.
Penalization by referee:
If a player from the defending team commits a
the goal area, the offensive team gets a penal
shot, from 10 yards outside the goal, with no
but the goalie. Other minor offenses (like tripp
player or accidentally touching the ball with h
penalized by allowing a free kick to the other
player commits a more serious offense such
referee issues a yellow card. If the player rece
yellow card within the same game, he/she aut
a red card and is ejected from the game; the t
short-handed for the rest of the match. An ex
may result in an immediate red card, even if n
had been issued.
Now, even a ‘Team Manager' can be issued a
be sent outside the field/ stadium if he/she mi
the opponent players in the forms of abusive
signs, or any other such things that distracts
team’s players.

19.
 Passing
(1) Short Passes: They are used to remove pres
opponents which can be Instep or Outstep g
(2) Long Passes: They are generally Lofted kick
the ball fast on the field or to open the game
(3) Through Passes: These are medium range p
pass through a group of opponents.
 Kicking
(1) Instep Kick: For executing this kick, ball sho
a relaxed forward swing of the kicking leg &
contacted with the inside of the kicking foot
(2) Outstep Kick: It should be executed with the
upper part of the toe by slightly twisting.
(3) Chip Kick: It’s a short-range kick in which th
at its base with the Instep kick to raise it to
(4) Toe Kick: It’s executed with toe of the foot a
clearing the ball over long distances.
(5) Punt/Volley Kick: In this kick the ball is kicke
in air without allowing it to bounce from the
(6) Drop Kick: This kick is executed when the b
falling on the ground.
(7) Scissors Kick: It’s similar to Punt kick in wh
the air & moves non-striking leg in an oppos
the kicked leg like scissors.

20.
 Dribbling
Dribbling is moving the ball on the ground with
of the feet to guide the ball in a particular dir
dribbling the ball, a player must use the insid
his feet to control the ball. This can be done
change from one foot to another & shouldn’t
 Heading
Heading is hitting a ball with the flat surface
To head a ball accurately, a player should ju
the ball & wait for proper time t o take jump.
comes near, the player should take proper ju
bending the body backwards from waist, he/
strike the ball with a forward swing of his/he
 Trapping
It’s stopping or bringing the ball under contr
passing, dribbling or kicking the ball in the g
be trapped either by foot, thigh, chest, sole,
belly.
 interception
It is a skill in which the objective is to take c
when an opponent passes the ball to one of
by kicking or taking its possession. To interc
must have good anticipation ability, quick re
speed.

21.
 Goalkeeping
Goalkeeping is an important skill in soccer wh
the prevention of the ball from goal. In this sk
touch the ball with hands (within Penalty Are
must have good coordinative abilities, very le
long diving & high jumping abilities. He is the
can touch the ball with any part of his/her bo
Penalty Area) making its role very significant
 Formation
It’s a pre-match ability of the team to form the
the playfield, either offensive or defensive. G
play with 2-3-5 formation in which three halve
defensive or offensive according to the game
formation is considered good for playing bot
well as defensive. In 4-3-3 formation defense
strong as two forwards start playing as halve
halves join the full backs. In 4-4-2 formation T
support both the defense & the attack: typica
central midfielders go upfield to support the
while the other will play a holding role, shield
and yet also protect the fullback wide defend
formation attempts to combine a strong attac
defense.

22.
1) Looseball: The ball, which is not under the
control of any player during the game, is usually
called the Looseball.
2) Golden Goal: The goal which made in Extra
Time but this rule/term is no longer used.
3) Volley: To kick the ball it bounces
4) SlidingTackle: When defender makes an
opponent to loose the control of the ball by
sliding on the ground
5) Loft: To kick the ball into the air
6) Lob: To kick the ball high, usually into Goal
mouth
7) Sudden Death: When, evenafter Extra Time
and 5 Penalty Kick, tie isn't broken then each
team is given 1-1 penalty kick alternately till the
tie is broken. But this rule is no longer is used.

23.
 For players
 a jersey with sleeves
 shorts
 stockings
 shinguards
 footwears with plastic studs
 a pair of goalkeeping gloves for the goalkeeper
 for referee
 a watch for time keeping
 a red & yellow card
 2 whistles
 1 pencil
 1 black/white flipping coin
 30 match day cards
 25 competition cards
 a jersey
 shorts
 stockings
 footwears

24.
 history
Football was first introduced in India in 1840 by th
British. The first football matches were held betwe
army teams. In India the first football game was
organised between the “Calcutta Club of Civilians”
the “Gentlemen of Barrackpore”, in 1854. The firs
football club of India, named “Calcutta FC”, was
founded in 1872. The “Indian Football Association
was formed in 1893. In 1898, the oldest football
tournament in India & the 3rd oldest in the world, t
Durand Cup, was played in Shimla.
The years 1951 to 1962 was the golden era of India
football & Indian footballers won the gold medals a
1951 & 1962 Asian Games. India also participated
the 1948 & 1956 Olympics. In 1956, India became
the first Asian nation which entered the semi-final
football in the Olympics. This achievement of India
was considered an apex position.

25.
present
In 2006 Bob Houghton was appointed coach & his
appointment saw a general progress in India’s
performances crowned by victory in 2007 Nehru C
Houghton then led India to the 2008 AFC Challeng
Cup as they beat Tajikistan by 4–1& was qualified
the 2011 Asian Cup. Indian team also won the 2nd
consecutive Nehru Cup in 2009. In 2012, India wo
the 15th edition of Nehru cup by beating Cameroon
5-4 in penalties as the full time score was tied at 2-2
making it the third successive Nehru cup win for
India. In the latest FIFA rankings, India has gone
down to as low as 169.

26.
Edson Arrantes de Nascimento a.k.a. Pele was born
Tres Coracoes in Brazil, in a family where his father,
Dondinho was a football player for Fluminese . In th
sporty atmosphere, young Pele learned to enjoy the
game, despite the poverty he grew up in. He used a
stuffed sock as the ball. After forming up a “shoeless
team" with his street kids, they participated in a you
tournament, with Pele ending up as top goal scorer. H
was immediately noticed by a former Brazilian
international Waldemar de Brito who called him to t
youth squad of Baquinho, & for the first time, offere
Pele money to play soccer. During his year at club's
youth team, Pele managed to win the championship
after a dazzling performance : 148 goals in just 33
matches. At 15 he was bought by Brazil giant, Santos
Just 1 year after he became the youngest player to in
the Brazilian first division at age 16 & more incredib
became league top scorer at the end of the season. He
remained at Santos for almost 20 years, time in whic
he scored 1087 goals in 1120 matches. One of the
milestones in the history of Pele was definitely his
1000th goal scored. On November 19th, 1969 Pele
already had scored 999 goals in his career. Playing on
the Maracana Stadium, Brazil against arch-rivals Va

27.
Da Gama, Pele managed to score from a penalty kick
and broke all records standing in front of him.
Throughout his 15 years spent at the Brazil national
team, Pele managed to break hundreds of records of
Which some are:
He became the most prolific striker in Brazil's histo
with 77 goals in 92 matches.
Pele, scored 12 goals in different World Cup match
being beaten only by Ronaldo.
He is considered by FIFA the most prolific scorer in
soccer history, with 1281 goals in 1363 matches in
all competitions.
He is the only player to have won three World Cup
He is one of the few players to achieve the
performance of scoring in two different World Cup
finals, sharing this record with Paul Breitner, Vava
and Zinedine Zidane.

28.
Maradona was born in Lanus but raised in Villa Fior
a shanty town on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. At 10
Maradona was spotted by a talent scout while he was
playing in his neighborhood club Estrella Roja. He
became a staple of Los Cebollitas (The Little Onions),
the junior team of Buenos Aires's Argentinos Juniors
As a 12-year-old ball boy, he amused spectators by
showing his wizardry with the ball during the halftim
intermissions of first division games. On 20 Oct 1976,
Maradona made his professional debut with
Argentinos Juniors, 10 days before his 16th birthday
played there from 1976 to 1981, scoring 115 goals in
167 appearances before his £1m transfer to Boca
Juniors. He is the only footballer to set world record
contract fees twice, firstly when transferring to
Barcelona for a then world record £5m & secondly,
when transferred to Napoli for reord fee £6.9m. Duri
his professional club career Maradona played for
Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli,
Sevilla and Newell’s Old Boys. At club level, he is mo
famous for his career in Napoli where he won several
accolades. In his international career, playing for
Argentina, he earned 91 caps & scored 34 goals. He
played in 4 FIFA World Cup tournaments, including

29.
1986 tournament, where he captained Argentina & le
them to their victory over West Germany in the final
winning the Golden Ball award as the tournament's
best player. In that same tournament's quarterfinal
round, he scored both goals in a 2–1 victory over
England that entered football history, for two differe
reasons. The first goal was via an unpenalized handb
known as the "Hand of God", while the second goal
followed a 60 m (66 yd) dribble past five England
players, voted "The Goal of the Century" by FIFA.c
voters in 2002. Maradona is considered one of the
sport's most controversial and newsworthy figures. H
was suspended from football for 15 months in 1991
after failing a drug test, for cocaine, in Italy, & was s
home from the 1994 World Cup in USA after testing
positive for ephedrine. In 2005, he lost weight &
overcame his cocaine addiction. His outspoken
manners have sometimes put him at odds with
journalists and sport executives but his honesty is
admirable. Although he had little managerial
experience, he became head coach of the Argentina
National team in November 2008, and held the job fo
18 months, until his contract expired after the 2010
World Cup.

30.
Born on 23 June 1972 in Marseille, France to Smail &
Malika. Growing up in La Castellane, Marseille Zida
fell in love with the sport at an early age of 5 while
playing soccer with the neighborhood kids in the ma
square of the housing complex. His youth playing da
start with the local club US Saint-Henri from La
Castellane with the junior squad. At the age of 14 he
was invited for a 6-week trial at Cannes but the Can
director Jean-Claude Elineau helped young Zidane a
lot by inviting him to leave the players dorms and co
live with him & his family. He later said that it was
living with Elineaus where he found Equilibrium. Hi
first professional match with Cannes was on May 18
1989 at the age of 17 in a league match against Nante
& he also scored his first goal against Nantes in Feb
1991 for Cannes in a 2-1 win. With his first goal cam
gifted car from Cannes chairman Alain Pedretti, who
had promised Zidane a car when he scores his first g
for the club. During Zidane's first full season with th
club, he managed to help Cannes secure its first ever
European competition by qualifying for the UEFA C
After finishing 4th in the league. After spending 4
Successful years at Cannes, he was tranferred to
Girondins de Bordeaux in the 1992-93 season. Durin

31.
the 4 years at the club Zidane had won the 1995
Intertoto Cup & helped Bordeaux finish as a runner
In 1995-96 UEFA Cup. During his time at Bordeaux
Zidane played a midfield combination role alongside
Bixente Lizarazu & Christophe Dugarry, which wou
become the trademark of both Bordeaux & French
National team. After winning the Champions League
1996, Juventus bought young Zinedine paying £3.2
Million for over the next 5 years. Right after his arri
he helped Juventus win the 1996 Seria A Title and th
1996 Intercontinental cup & also helped Juventus re
the 1997 UEFA Champions League Final but lost the
match 3-1 against Borussia Dortmund. Zidane was p
of Juventus squad that reached 3rd consecutive UEF
Champions League Final, but again lost the final ma
1-0 to Real Madrid. He finished his career at Juventu
scoring 24 goals in 151 matches and finishing his last
2 seasons with Juventus 2nd in 1999-2000 & 2000-01
Seria A. Zidane was the leading figure of a generatio
of French players that won the 1998 World Cup &
2000 European Championship. He played in the 200
European Championship where France finished top
their group, but were eliminated in the quarter finals
He briefly retired from international football but
returned to the national team in 2005 and captained
France to the 2006 World Cup Final where he won th
Golden Ball as the tournament's most outstanding

32.
player. It was in this World Cup’s final match where
he headbutted the Italian player Marco Materazzi in
the chest. This marked the decline of his sporting
Career.
At club level Zidane won La Liga and the UEFA
Champions League withReal Madrid, two Serie A
league championships with Juventus and an
Intercontinental Cup and a UEFA Super Cup each
with both aforementioned sides. Zidane was voted a
FIFA World Player of the Year on 3 occasions (1998,
2000 and 2003) & also won the Ballon d’Or in 1998.
Zidane retired from professional football after the
2006 World Cup. He currently holds the post of Rea
Madrid Director of Football. On 31 July 2012, Real
Madrid announced that as soon as he completes
Management qualification, he will begin training to
be a coach while at the same time coaching Real
Madrid’s youth academy.

33.
David Robert Joseph Beckham was born on May 2,
1975 in Leytonstone, a small and beautiful town near
London. David Beckham is an English football playe
that currently plays for A.C Milan on loan from Maj
League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy. Beckham is
also one of the most important members of the
England national team. David Beckham was the first
English football player to play 100 Champions Leagu
matches. He was Google's most searched of all sports
topics during 2003 and 2004. With such internationa
recognition he has become a powerful advertising
image and a top fashion icon. David Beckham
was captain of England between November 15, 2000
& the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals. Since then he ha
continued to represent his country and earned his
much-publicized 100th cap for England against Fran
on 26 March 2008. He is currently England's most
capped outfield player with 115 appearances. His
career started when he signed a professional contrac
with Manchester United, making his first-team debu
in 1992 when he was just 17 years old. During his tim
there, United won the Premier League title 6 times,
the FA Cup 2 times & the UEFA Champions League
in 1999. In 2003, he left Manchester United to sign fo

34.
Real Madrid, maybe the most popular football club i
the world, where he remained for 4 seasons, clinchin
the La Liga championship in his final season with th
club. In 2007, David Beckham left Real Madrid &
signed a 5 years contract with Major League Soccer
club Los Angeles Galaxy. According to this contract,
David Beckham is going to receive $6.5 million per
year. David Beckham is married with Victoria
Beckham. The couple has 3 sons (Brooklyn Joseph
Beckham, Romeo James Beckham and Cruz David
Beckham) & currently resides in Beverly Hills,
California.

35.
Born as Ronaldo de Assis Moreira on March 21, 198
in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Ronaldinho's father, Joo
Moreira, was a former professional soccer player wh
also worked as a welder in a shipyard and his mothe
Miguelina de Assis, was a cosmetics saleswoman who
later became a nurse. Ronaldinho's older brother,
Roberto Assis, was also a professional soccer player.
Ronaldinho began playing organized youth soccer at
the age of 7 & it was as a youth soccer player that he
first received nickname "Ronaldinho" the diminutiv
form of his birth name Ronaldo. In his childhood da
he used to play futsal — an offshoot of soccer played
indoors on a hard court surface & with only five play
on each side. Ronaldinho's early experiences with fu
helped shape his unique playing style, marked by his
remarkable touch & close control on the ball.
Ronaldinho quickly developed into one of Brazil's m
talented youth soccer players. When he was 13 years
old, he once scored a ridiculous 23 goals in a single
game. Then, in 1997, a teenaged Ronaldinho won a
call-up to Brazil's Under-17 national team. The squa
won the FIFA Under-17 World Championship in
Egypt and Ronaldinho was selected as the tourname
best player. That same year, Ronaldinho signed his fi

36.
professional contract to play for Grmio, one of the
most celebrated teams in the Brazilian league. Two
years later, in 1999, Ronaldinho was invited to join th
senior Brazilian national team to compete in the
Confederations Cup in Mexico. Brazil placed second
the tournament and Ronaldinho won the Golden Ball
Award as the tournament's best player as well as the
Golden Boot Award as its leading goal scorer. In 2001
Ronaldinho left Brazil for Europe, signing a contract
play for Paris Saint-Germain in France. A year later,
participated in his first World Cup on a loaded Brazi
squad that also featured Ronaldo and Rivaldo.
Ronaldinho scored two goals in five matches as Brazi
defeated Germany in the finals to win its fifth World
Cup title. The next year, in 2003, Ronaldinho fulfilled
lifelong dream by joining FC Barcelona of the Spanis
league, one of the world's most storied clubs and
winning the legendary No. 10 jersey typically worn b
the squad's greatest creative player. In 2004 and 2005
Ronaldinho won back-to-back FIFA World Player of
Year awards, the sport's highest individual honor. In
2008, Ronaldinho left Barcelona to join another of th
world's most prestigious clubs, A.C. Milan in Italy's
Serie A.
In 2005, Ronaldinho and Brazilian dancer Janaína
Mendes had a son, named Joo after Ronaldinho's late
father.

37.
 TOURNAMENTS
 FIFA World Cup
 International Nehru Gold Cup
 Asia Cup
 Copa America
 UEFA Champions League
 La Liga
 African Nations Cup
 Santosh Trophy
 Durand Cup
 I.F.A. Shield
 VENUES
 Wembley Stadium (England)
 Munich Olympic Stadium (Germa
 The Racecourse Ground (Wales)
 Ellis Park Stadium(South Africa)
 Ambedkar Football Stadium(New
 Salt Lake Stadium (Kolkata)

38.
 www.fifa .com
 www.nbcolympics.com/soccer
 www.soccerrules.org
 en.wikipedia.org
 http://www.iloveindia.com/Football
 www.soccer-fans-info.com
 articles.famouswhy.com
 www.sportskeeda.com
 www.google.co.in
 Tell Me Why
 P.E. Textbook
 P.E. Lab Manual