World Cup

Through 44 matches, attendance has topped 2.85 million and stadiums are 99.6% full, finds - Fifa data

Hotel and visitation numbers were expected to spike this year. So far, several of the host cities have instead seen slumps

Some of the concerns raised ahead of the tournament still linger, however

The system may be neither fair nor transparent, but it is proving effective at maximising profits from the global event

The star forward has a mostly anonymous display against the Democratic Republic of Congo

The craze for the superstar’s elusive golden version has helped fuel shortages and driven up prices

World Cup prediction models highlight how hard forecasting in finance is

The recommendations go beyond the standard sportswear and beer bumps to feature less-obvious winners

Fifa’s leader has unabashedly courted the US president’s favour. Football officials ask: Who really benefits?