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The World Cup third-place game is exciting to almost no one. But they still play it.

Wednesday's contest for a spot in the final carries the weight of a 1986 contentious clash, a war over the Falklands and a national mythology built around Diego Maradona.

Rather than rally behind the tournament's last Latin American team, other countries in the region are confronting Argentina's fraught claims to its own identity.

The ejection of the Argentine soccer star during a 1966 match against England led to the introduction of yellow and red cards.

The Norwegian striker has drawn an ardent following for his silly, self-deprecating online presence. Chinese fans, who have dubbed him "Baby Ha," show their affection in memes.

See some of the best images from the world's most popular sporting event.

A pilot program invites people to play soccer under the lights overnight for the duration of the World Cup. The fields have seen no shortage of action.

Hundreds of thousands of people took public transit to World Cup events in car-crazy Los Angeles, a hopeful sign for officials planning the Summer Games.

A huge soccer upset in 1981 was immortalized by a famous radio call in Norway, directed at Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

At this stage of the competition, switching national loyalties can be as easy as changing jerseys.