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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 2, 2015

China shows how to crack down on soccer

China's experience with its soccer federation shows that eliminating corruption from a sporting organization requires more than knocking off that organization's leadership.
Japan Times
SOCCER
May 19, 2022

U.S. soccer reaches deal to guarantee equal pay for men's and women's teams

U.S. Soccer becomes the first federation in the world to equalize FIFA World Cup prize money awarded to both women's and men's teams for participation in their respective World Cups.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Feb 23, 2022

U.S. women's players and U.S. Soccer settle equal pay dispute

In a historic agreement, U.S. Soccer pledged to provide equal pay rates going forward for the women's and men's national teams in all friendlies and tournaments, including the World Cup.
SOCCER
Nov 27, 2020

'A god': Young Diego Maradona left lasting impact on Japanese soccer

The late legend touched a generation of fans with his effortless talent, but his struggles with substance abuse prevented him from bringing his trademark flair to the J. League.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Jul 16, 2023

Refugee soccer team breaking boundaries with globetrotting tour

Formed just months ago in Utah, Team SheBelongs aims to promote acceptance and change the global conversation surrounding refugees and displaced persons.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 13, 2014

Indian soccer's strange World Cup history

Might the history of Indian soccer have taken a different turn if India's football federation had decided to send the golden generation of the '40s to the World Cup in 1950?
SOCCER / Heisei Icons,HEISEI ICONS
Mar 27, 2019

Kazuyoshi Miura: Flashy 'King Kazu' steered soccer's rise

It could be said that no team sport in Japan has outpaced soccer's growth through the Heisei Era, and 52-year-old Kazuyoshi Miura is the only player who can claim to have been a part of that growth throughout.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Oct 4, 2022

U.S. women's soccer probe uncovers 'systemic' abuse and sexual misconduct

The 172-page report included interviews with more than 200 NWSL players and detailed patterns of abuse from team coaches.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Jun 2, 2018

Life goals: Soccer player Yuki Nagasato is always on the ball

From Japan to Europe to the U.S., Nagasato's experience on the soccer field has taught her how to play smart.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Nov 26, 2020

Diego Maradona, one of soccer’s all-time greats, dies at 60

News of the death brought an outpouring of mourning and remembrance in Argentina, becoming virtually the sole topic of conversation.
EDITORIALS
Jul 11, 2015

More female soccer players needed

The nation can take pride in the accomplishments of Nadeshiko Japan, but efforts are needed to ensure future players can rise to the same success.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 1, 2014

Warming up for the Soccer W-Cup

For real soccer fans, the upcoming World Cup in Brazil will be the highlight of the past four years. On top of that, many lukewarm supporters will surely soon discover that they are, in fact, true sports fans. But even those who consider it entirely pointless to watch 22 people running after a ball for...
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Jul 20, 2023

Soccer feeling the heat from Japan's scorching summer

Postponements of matches reflect the growing challenges facing amateur teams as they attempt to cope with Japan’s increasingly hostile summer months.
Fans of the Malmo soccer team during a match against Elfsborg at the Eleda stadium in Malmo, Sweden, on Nov. 12. While most of Europe’s leagues engage in a Sisyphean quest to source as much money as possible, Sweden has chosen a different model. But its rewards come with risk.
SOCCER
Nov 21, 2023

Business booming after Swedish soccer puts fans before finances

The story surrounding the game is one of rejecting orthodoxy, of asking why sports exist and whom they exist for — but also how hard it is to stand alone.
Brazil's Ronaldo (left) celebrates his goal against Turkey with teammate Ronaldinho during a World Cup match in Ulsan, South Korea, in June 2002.
SOCCER
May 8, 2024

Is Brazil still the land of soccer?

"We're at a low point. We used to have more top-quality athletes," the late Pele's eldest son, Edinho, said recently.
Former Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales' forced kiss on player Jenni Hermoso drew global protests from women's rights advocates.
SOCCER
Sep 12, 2023

Luis Rubiales quits, but women’s soccer in Spain is still troubled

Even after the federation chief's resignation over his forcible kiss of a player, pay disputes are threatening to disrupt domestic leagues.
President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales announces he will not quit after his kiss on the lips of a star player sparked outrage.
SOCCER
Aug 27, 2023

FIFA suspends Spanish soccer chief over World Cup kiss

The outrage began after Rubiales celebrated Spain’s victory by kissing Jennifer Hermoso on the lips.
Former Canada soccer player Diana Matheson (left, in June 2013) is one of the driving forces behind a proposed new professional women's soccer league in the country.
SOCCER
Apr 5, 2024

Six teams apply to join proposed Canadian women's soccer league

Player signings and ticket sales are slated to begin around mid-2024.
Urawa's Yu Endo (right) competes for the ball with Kobe's Yui Narumiya during a match in Osaka in January.
SOCCER
Oct 2, 2024

Champions League can put Asian women's soccer on map, players say

Women's soccer in Europe and North America is in rude health, but Asia has fallen behind.
Spain's Olga Carmona and Ona Batlle celebrate after the Women's World Cup final in Sydney on Aug. 20. The team had been in dispute with the Spanish federation before the tournament.
SOCCER
Oct 19, 2023

FIFA official urges nations to fully support women's soccer

Soccer associations need to properly support their women's teams so they can perform at their best, FIFA's Sarai Bareman said.
English players in all competitions could receive yellow cards for invading the personal space of a referee under new guidelines released by governing bodies on Monday.
SOCCER
Aug 1, 2023

English soccer authorities launch measures to tackle poor behavior

New rules have also been introduced to address offensive chants, gestures and the display of offensive messages based on "football tragedies."
Spain's players during during a training session in Oliva near Valencia, on Wednesday.
SOCCER
Sep 21, 2023

Women's soccer players in Spain to end boycott

As part of a deal to end the move, between six and nine senior officials of the football federation will be invited to leave their jobs or will be fired.
Lionel Messi jerseys, in Inter Miami’s distinctive pink color, for sale at the Adidas store in Manhattan in September. In the span of three months, the soccer superstar has made Inter Miami’s eye-catching pink jersey the hottest piece of sports merchandise on the planet.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 2, 2023

Adidas and Puma eye 'sports culture' market as soccer courts fashion

The Women's World Cup showed huge unmet demand for soccer-related merchandise for women, with the trend extending to fashion-conscious fans of both sexes.
England goalkeeper Mary Earp has criticized team outfitter Nike over failing to produce replicas of her uniform for sale.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 15, 2023

Adidas and Nike navigate bumps in retail demand as WWC breaks records

As the market for women's soccer grows, marketers have to juggle the fan base's ever-changing demands.
Bev Priestman, then Canada women's soccer coach, in Melbourne in July 2023. Priestman and two assistants have been banned for a year by FIFA over a scandal involving drones at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
SOCCER
Nov 13, 2024

Canadian women's soccer coach and two aides out after drone scandal

The scandal involved the use of drones to illegally film New Zealand practices at the Paris Olympics.
Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring in his debut for Inter Miami during a Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Friday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 25, 2023

Will Messi’s MLS gambit be good for Latin American soccer?

The superstar’s arrival in Miami will spur investment in the sport throughout the Americas and may finally help slow the exodus of young players to Europe.
Australia's Matildas have led the way in urging FIFA to provide equal compensation to men's and women's teams competing at World Cups.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 9, 2023

Unions gain momentum as World Cup women push for pay parity

Though the disparity is still great, women's soccer players have won better deals that have changed the playing field in recent years.
Inter Milan "ultras" merchandise is displayed outside San Siro Stadium in Milan before a Champions League match on Nov. 26.
SOCCER
Dec 19, 2024

Italy combats spread of mafia among soccer fan groups across country

Ultra groups at Inter and AC Milan, two of the biggest names in Italian soccer, have allegedly been infiltrated by the mafia.
Nadeshiko Japan reached the knockout stage at a fourth consecutive FIFA Women's World Cup before being eliminated in the quarterfinals on Friday by Sweden.
SOCCER / Women's World cup / From the Spot
Aug 15, 2023

Bold steps needed from JFA, WE League to maintain momentum after WWC

After Nadeshiko Japan's inspiring quarterfinal run in New Zealand, the country's soccer bodies must avoid the missteps of the post-2011 boom and bust.
Manchester City players celebrate winning the Champions League final over Inter Milan in Istanbul in June.
SOCCER
Dec 21, 2023

Super League vs UEFA: Court to rule on future of European soccer

The latest bid to set up a Super League of the biggest European soccer clubs collapsed swiftly under the weight of fan anger, but the idea did not die.

Longform

Yasuyuki Yoshida stirs a brew in a fermentation tank at his brewery in Hakusan.
The quake that shook Noto's sake brewing tradition