Football

Football is a team sport primarily played between two teams of eleven players each, commonly known as soccer in some countries, particularly in the United States and Canada. The objective of the game is to score goals by getting a spherical ball into the opposing team’s goal using any part of the body except the arms and hands (the goalkeeper is an exception, allowed to use hands within their penalty area).

The game is played on a rectangular field with a goal at each end and is governed by a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game. Matches are typically divided into two halves, each lasting 45 minutes, with added time, and the team with the most goals at the end wins the match. Football is known for its wide global appeal, cultural significance, and is one of the most popular sports worldwide, with major events such as the FIFA World Cup showcasing the sport on an international stage. The term “football” can also refer to various forms of football played in different regions, such as American football or Australian rules football, which have distinct rules and play styles.