FIFA

While there was not a sellout game in the opening week, 10 of the first 24 matches have seen crowds in excess of 40,000, for an average of around 36,000. But optics, not just numbers, matter for a tournament FIFA hopes will become one of the most important in sport.

For every World Cup, there's a custom official ball. But how does the Telstar 18 actually stack up? To find out, scientists stuck it in a wind tunnel with a bunch of sensors.

The first few matches of this year’s FIFA World Cup have been seismic. Mexico literally shook the ground after beating Germany –a highlight for some...