Over the last few years, the female football scene has hit something of a boom in London. Grassroots leagues are expanding to cater to the increased number of teams all across the capital. But as amazing as it is to see the vibrant football community in London grow, the rest of the country still has some work to do to catch up.  

Beyond football, in other sports and endeavours such as music and art, access and high-quality exposure is a right for the country’s youth. Football’s part in this relationship was succinctly and insightfully revealed to me when Jón summarised the function of Fram to me as “here to serve the community.”

In Africa, we have a saying: "If there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do us no harm." As long as our hero’s on the field make us proud, all the noise from the outside can be ignored. 

The Cape Verdean diaspora has an important role in Luxembourgish society nowadays. Luxembourg, the country where I was born and raised, is a land of immigration and diversity. 50% of the population does not have Luxembourgish nationality and the mixture of languages and cultures of all these communities enriches life in Luxembourg and gives it a cosmopolitan air.

A left-footed defender, he will be remembered on the pitch for his Alessandro Nesta-esque tackles and his incredible work rate, always giving every he could for the team. Davide was a decisive contributor to NY International’s successive promotions and his impact both on and off the pitch cannot be understated.

“Our club aims to reflect the life-affirming aspects of football, and leverage this passion not just in the sporting side, but off-pitch as well through our mission to promote environmental justice.”

How a kid from the slums of Buenos Aires channelled the great early-19th century Romantic poets and their grandest ideas: the sublime, imagination, and revolution.

His decision to sign for the team as a free agent in September of 2000 was the most important moment in the history of Brescia Calcio.

A creative insight of Scandinavian giants AIK travelling to fifth tier Rågsved IF in the Swedish Cup. This time, Goliath got the better of David with a 0-5 win but there was still an abundance of magic.

Fierce rivalries, AFCON prospects, World Cup dreams and marvellous Mo Salah - Egyptian football is a riding a wave right now. But it wasn’t always this way.

Andrew Downie’s latest book, ‘The Greatest Show on Earth: The Inside Story of the Legendary 1970 World Cup’ shines a light on the magic of an unforgettable tournament - the cultural significance of which we are still learning about today.

17 months earlier, the stands and streets surrounding La Rosaleda were far from mute. On this occasion, I was stood outside our usual drinking haunt with Paul Gascoigne kissing me on the lips.

There was no such thing as a budget airline in April 1991. There was no single European currency. We didn’t have Google Maps, in fact, we didn’t have to Google anything. We didn’t even have mobile phones.

Sarri is proof that football has not yet lost its identity. Despite the excessive commercialisation, massive amounts of money on the line and elitism, the Italian coach is proof that a passionate love of the sport and consistent hard work can be enough to rise to the very top. From balancing football with his day job at the bank, to lifting the Italian league title with Juventus in the space of only 20 years… Sarri is an everyman.

It was the most ill-fitting and bluntest of send offs for the greatest participant of the most popular game in human history. From a Barcelona perspective, given the events that led to this point, it was so painfully, perfectly on-brand that it almost looked satirical.

The fans spilt into the concourses and onto the banks of the Manzanares singing I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You: a dedication to Fernando Torres. Residents stood on their balconies and joined in the chaos, filling the night with song. One merchandise stall, just off the M-30 motorway which bends under the North Stand, was selling ‘Torres 100’ replica shirts, with postcards of El Niño - The Kid - selling rapidly.

Sometimes acting as a conduit, mirroring the emotion of the viewing TV audience, the voices of football are also in place to guide you through the shocking; the hilarious; the vile; and the heartbreaking with a sense of certainty and authority.

Netflix's Pelé goes further than any other documentary at cracking one of the oldest enigmas in football. We spoke to co-director Ben Nicholas on his search for the man behind the myth.

Language requires context. In most of the Spanish speaking world, ‘una pelota’ is almost universally recognised as the translation for ‘a football.’ When Maradona spoke of the pelota, we knew what he meant. But Cuba has always prided itself on being different. In Cuba, if you’re talking about pelota, you’re talking about something altogether different. You’re talking about the national sport: baseball.

Amsterdammers and Rotterdammers don’t like each other. A rivalry born of anger and deceit, the story of two biggest football clubs in the Netherlands is one that transcends colours, identity and friendships.