From The New York Times Magazine, a special issue on the World Cup (and more from Global Post and more from GQ). The Boston Globe's "Ideas" guide to the World Cup is not really about the soccer. Musical Chairs: The World Cup in South Africa is on the brink of chaos. 2010 World Cup: Is Africa football's unheralded star? A review of Africa United: How Football Explains Africa by Steve Bloomfield. A review of Feet of the Chameleon: The Story of African Football by Ian Hawkey and More Than Just A Game: Football v Apartheid, the Most Important Football Story Ever Told by Chuck Korr and Marvin Close. In 35 years South African football has gone from the wilderness to staging the World Cup; Raymond Whitaker remembers life as a white follower of a largely black sport. A new slave trade: Europe's thirst for young African footballers. Cutting-edge European talent factory Ajax academy trains elite soccer players — starting at age 7. From Forbes, a special report on the most valuable soccer teams. A review of The Fix: Soccer and Organised Crime by Declan Hill. Goldman Sachs may have taken a lot of heat lately, but they may have done themselves a favor by releasing their 2010 World Cup Research Report earlier this month. Beware Wall Street's World Cup predictions. As the 2010 World Cup looms, there's an interesting mismatch between the FIFA's rankings of the soccer powers and, er, real power. The World Cup for everyone else: Before the Big Event, regions and nations not recognized by FIFA pick their own champion. Soccer conquers the world: Financially, politically, culturally, it rules international sport — even in America. A review of The World is a Ball: The Joy, Madness and Meaning of Soccer by John Doyle. Adidas' Jabulani ball promises higher scores, anguished goalies.
