Before a ball has been kicked in Germany, the World Cup is gripped by a fierce contest between teams of global heavyweights and their smaller rivals.
It costs $4 to sit in the main stand at the Roberto Bettega stadium in the swampy outskirts of the Paraguayan capital and insect repellent is not included in the price.
Inner-city children who dream of playing Major League baseball must often overcome street crime, broken families and poor playing fields.
Lying on the dark mahogany desk of the general secretary of the Angolan Football Federation, in the bowels of Luanda's Cidadela sports complex, is a dog-eared copy of a pre-season guide to the Portuguese league.
Stand at the top of Highbury hill in north London and, at a glance, you can see how big money has transformed English soccer.