This summer, 48 men's national teams will compete in the World Cup's biggest tournament ever. Here are a few of the basics to get you started.

World Cup fever is hitting Canada ahead of kickoff Thursday. With soaring ticket prices and growing questions off the pitch, will passion for the game last?

NPR's Steve Inskeep asks Miguel Delaney, chief football writer for The Independent, about some of the controversies surrounding the World Cup.

With only days to go before the World Cup, some people in New Jersey are fuming about how much the tournament is going to cost the state — and making their feelings known.

As the World Cup begins later this week, match officials and team members have faced enhanced immigration scrutiny when trying to enter the United States. A FIFA referee from Somalia was turned away.

Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cape Verde and Curacao are making their World Cup debut. Meanwhile, Scotland, South Africa, Canada, and New Zealand (just to name a few) have never made it past the group stage.

The biggest World Cup ever starts this week. Laura Williamson, editor in chief of The Athletic, describes how sky-high prices, travel restrictions, politics and the Ebola outbreak are impacting fans.

How far would you be willing to walk for a cause close to your heart? A 5k, a 10k? Maybe a marathon? How about a marathon a day for more than 105 consecutive days?

A judge has temporarily restored the eligibility of Texas Tech University quarterback Brendan Sorsby after he acknowledged making thousands of impermissible bets worth at least $90,000 on college and professional sports.

Iran's soccer team arrived in Tijuana, Mexico, where they received a warm welcome and are now gearing up for cross-border commutes to the U.S. for every World Cup match.