Stories from Fifa World Cup 2018 that made headlines for non-soccer reasons

From Iran's goalkeeper who was once homeless but stopped Ronaldo's penalty kick to a blind fan who followed the tournament in a non-conventional way, these stories tugged at the readers' heartstrings.

Football, as a sport, might be the most boring idea conceived by the human mind. Think about it: Twenty-two men running after a ball of leather. But what makes it an intriguing event, a spectacle of sorts is the stories it weaves. The tales people tell each other. Sometimes the anecdotes are of overcoming a growth deficiency, or a team progressing from league 2 to win first division title, or of people following their team across the globe in win and in loss. All kinds of accounts, both heart-warming and heart-rending. Stories have made civilisation and they made football too.