Off The Ball

Tales of footballing cheer for Christmas
Saturday 24 December 2011Christmas is a time of goodwill to all. Join FIFA.com as we reveal some of the most heartwarming stories the game of football has generated over the years.

Making your first touch count
Friday 23 December 2011Every player likes to make an instant impact, but only a few can take that to it's pinnacle by scoring with their first touch. FIFA.com looks at the likes of Lars Ricken, Amr Zaki and Bryan Robson who did so on the biggest stages.

Kings of the free-kick
Friday 2 December 2011FIFA.com looks at some of the greatest set-piece specialists in history, including Juninho Pernambucano, Sinisa Mihajlovic, Michel Platini and Zico, and some of their most memorable free-kicks.

Goalkeepers who belied their size
Friday 18 November 2011Featuring the likes of Ubaldo Fillol and Jorge Campos, FIFA.com takes a look at the many goalkeepers who have disproved the theory that size matters.

Getting to grips with the ‘gol olímpico’
Friday 4 November 2011FIFA.com tackles the history and curling dynamics of the so-called Olympic Goal, one of those rare strikes -- with its roots in the 1920s -- that flies in directly from a corner kick.

Enraptured by 'rabonas'
Friday 14 October 2011FIFA.com tracks the origins and greatest practitioners of the rabona, one of football's flashiest moves and a deft little party trick for the ages.
Denied glory but always remembered
Friday 23 September 2011Firing blanks to shoot-out shock
Friday 9 September 2011All in a day’s work
Friday 1 July 2011In the shadows of giants
Friday 24 June 2011Legends undented by curtailed careers
Friday 10 June 2011Are you sure that’s the right score?
Friday 27 May 2011Dream debuts and nightmare starts
Friday 13 May 2011Female stars keeping it in the family
Friday 29 April 2011Little guys enjoying last laugh
Friday 15 April 2011A handful of heroic hat-tricks
Saturday 2 April 2011The beautiful game's long-range wonders
Friday 25 March 2011When heroes come back to haunt you
Friday 18 March 2011Legends’ longevity the key to landmarks
Friday 4 March 2011It's all in the genes
Friday 18 February 2011Preserving the game’s rich heritage
Friday 4 February 2011Football and philosophy
Friday 21 January 2011Footballers given food for thought
Friday 7 January 2011Goal-hungry foxes facing extinction
Friday 17 December 2010Tales from the tattoo parlour
Friday 26 November 2010Nicknames reign in Brazil
Friday 12 November 2010The own goal club
Friday 29 October 2010Football's published players
Friday 15 October 2010Football’s crazy spin-offs
Friday 1 October 2010Style between the sticks
Friday 17 September 2010Football's hair-raising icons
Friday 3 September 2010The joy and pain of penalties
Monday 5 July 2010Football crazy, football mad
Wednesday 9 June 2010Genius, madman or both?
Friday 28 May 2010Goals galore for game's greats
Friday 7 May 2010Love and the beautiful game
Friday 30 April 2010Meet football's famous crybabies
Friday 23 April 2010Two for the price of one
Friday 16 April 2010Football's fervent devotees
Friday 9 April 2010Tunnel visions raise a smile
Friday 2 April 2010Broken dreams on world stage
Friday 19 March 2010Battling back from the brink
Friday 19 March 2010Two hats better than one?
Friday 12 March 2010All creatures great and small
Friday 5 March 2010The game's terrible twins
Friday 12 February 2010Bring in the clowns
Friday 29 January 2010A funny old game
Friday 15 January 2010The games that never were
Friday 1 January 2010It's never too late
Friday 2 October 2009Following in famous footsteps
Friday 18 September 2009