Sister of Iranian Soccer Star Wants Women at His Matches

By TARIQ PANJA from NYT Sports For four decades, Iran has prohibited female fans from buying tickets and attending men’s matches. FIFA wants the ban lifted. So far, Iran has not budged.https://nyti.ms/2xMwhls

Josef Martinez’s Scoring Spree Puts Atlanta United on Top of M.L.S.

By VICTOR MATHER from NYT Sports The striker from Venezuela is averaging a goal per game for Atlanta, which has the best record in the league.https://nyti.ms/2KatVjZ

World Cup 2018: The Winners and Losers

By VICTOR MATHER from NYT Sports France might be the big winner of the World Cup, but several teams and players can walk away with a smile. Others aren’t smiling so much.https://nyti.ms/2mkzeUw

The World Cup Changed Russia, but for How Long?

By RORY SMITH from NYT Sports A comparison between the 1980 Summer Olympics and this year’s World Cup is not perfect, but there are parallels to study.https://nyti.ms/2Les9D1

Pussy Riot Says Its Members Ran Onto the Field in World Cup Final

By IVAN NECHEPURENKO and MELISSA GOMEZ from NYT Sports Four people ran onto the field dressed in police uniforms during the second half of the game, and the activist group claimed responsibility and made a list of demands.https://nyti.ms/2zNa0Ii

France vs. Croatia: World Cup 2018 Final Live

By ANDREW DAS from NYT Sports France is trying to win its second World Cup, matching the feat it achieved in 1998. Croatia is playing for its first championship. Stay here for live updates.https://nyti.ms/2zFjLYH

Hear a Mash-up of Every ‘Goooooool’ From the World Cup

By JOE WARD, MATT RUBY, SAMANTHA STARK, KEVIN QUEALY and KENAN DAVIS from NYT Sports We have combined all 163 impassioned cries by Telemundo's announcers into one lung-bursting goal call.https://nyti.ms/2uxjOQL

Croatia, Cast in Underdog Role, Has the Look of a Champion

By RORY SMITH from NYT Sports Croatia does not have the economic power of France. It does not have its talent pool. But it will not, by any stretch of the imagination, be underestimated.https://nyti.ms/2uunbb0

A Full Member of FIFA, Kosovo Finds Its Flag Barred From World Cup Stadiums

By TARIQ PANJA from NYT Sports The Kosovar flag is one of more than two dozen barred from World Cup stadiums by tournament organizers, according to a security booklet viewed by The Times.https://nyti.ms/2LgJkkk

Peeking Around Corners in the World Cup’s Provincial Cities

By IVAN NECHEPURENKO from NYT Sports The World Cup has transformed Russian cities, but some changes were merely facades aimed at burnishing a grim reality for foreign eyes. https://nyti.ms/2mfinT9

Was Russia 2018 the Greatest of All World Cups?

By RORY SMITH from NYT Sports Thrilling upsets; passing torches; the rise of the collective; video reviews; Kylian Mbappé ... we could go on and on.https://nyti.ms/2LfvZbS

The World Cup Final’s Unconventional Start Time

By KEVIN DRAPER from NYT Sports Kickoff between France and Croatia happens in Europe’s late afternoon and the United States’ morning, but is at a manageable 11 p.m. in Beijing.https://nyti.ms/2ujG3dC

The Google Translate World Cup

By RORY SMITH from NYT Sports Many expected the tournament to see technological advances related to refereeing. Instead, an app that lets strangers communicate was the biggest winner.https://nyti.ms/2mhufnK

For FIFA Executives, World Cup Perks Survive a Scandal

By TARIQ PANJA from NYT Sports Three years after a corruption investigation brought down soccer’s leadership, the sport’s top executives have enjoyed a gilded lifestyle in Russia.https://nyti.ms/2N9I0QO

The 2022 World Cup Takes Shape in Qatar. Yes, Qatar.

By ANDREW KEH from NYT Sports With the small country now next in line to host the world’s most-watched sporting event, grass and trees are sprouting in the desert and scrutiny is intensifying.https://nyti.ms/2LdohiH

England vs. Croatia: World Cup 2018 Live Updates

By ANDREW DAS from NYT Sports England and Croatia square off for a spot in the 2018 World Cup final. Croatia has never made a final and England hasn’t been to one since 1966.https://nyti.ms/2JdbScJ

France vs. Belgium: World Cup 2018 Live Updates

By ANDREW DAS from NYT Sports France and Belgium, two teams populated with some of the world’s best players, square off in a World Cup semifinal. Live updates and analysis.https://nyti.ms/2znGecA

Belgium’s World Cup History Marked by Momentum Cresting Toward 2018

By EMMA MCALEAVY from NYT Sports A brief overview of the highs and lows for the Belgian national football team.https://nyti.ms/2KZjXGI

The Bizarre Theater of the World Cup Press Conference

By SARAH LYALL from NYT Sports Reporters offering gifts, coaches in bad moods, and players dancing around historical commentary: The tournament’s most banal ritual can get pretty weird.https://nyti.ms/2uhJctk

Russia vs. Croatia: World Cup 2018 Live Updates

By VICTOR MATHER from NYT Sports Russia tries to keep its incredible home run alive in a quarterfinal matchup against Croatia. Stay here for live scoring, updates and analysis from Russia.https://nyti.ms/2KGD1tU