There is no sport more global than football. With the World Cup kicking off, we give you some perspectives on the “beautiful game” from our student journalists.
Cody Gakpo of the Netherlands scores a goal in a friendly match against Uzbekistan in New York, 8 June 2026. (The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images )
Editor’s note: On 11 June 2026, the FIFA World Cup kicks off in Mexico starting a tournament that will have teams from 48 countries playing in 16 stadiums across Mexico, the United States and Canada. It is expected that billions of people will watch the World Cup in person or on television sets in their homes and local bars.
At News Decoder, we wouldn’t dare try to compete with the barrage of news coverage that we expect will keep us informed of every goal and yellow card. Instead we give you some different takes on football by high school students that we have previously published on News Decoder.
We launched Decoder Replay to help readers better understand current world events by seeing how our correspondents and teen reporters decoded similar events in the past.
The universal language of football
By Helen Milito, School Year Abroad
Playing on a different team in a different country is disorienting. But on the field the only question is this: Can you play?
As fans flock to women’s football, pay stays out of play
By Yi Le Low, Realgymnasium Rämibühl Zürich
Almost 16 million girls play organized football around the world. Yet most professional players have yet to earn a living wage.
In soccer, the goal posts are closer for those with green
By Gabe Stryker, The Tatnall School
To succeed in the “beautiful game” in much of the world, you just need to prove yourself on the field. Not so in the United States, where you pay to play.
Participating in sports by remote control
By Nicole Ransome, The Tatnall School
There are health benefits to an active lifestyle. But if you like to sit in the stands or watch from the sofa, perhaps a different kind of workout takes place.
