Oldest soccer ball to visit World Cup (UPI)
STIRLING, Scotland, April 26 (UPI) — The oldest known soccer ball in the world will leave its museum home in Scotland to be part of a display on the game’s history at the World Cup in Germany.

England fearful after Rooney injury
England striker Wayne Rooney faces a race to be fit for the FIFA World Cup finals after breaking a metatarsal bone in his right foot…

England Faces `Disaster’ at Soccer World Cup If Rooney Is Out (Bloomberg.com)
April 30 (Bloomberg) — England faces “disaster” in its quest to win soccer’s World Cup for the first time in 40 years if Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney can’t recover from a broken bone in his foot, national teammate Steven Gerrard said.

Scolari withdraws England job candidacy
Portugal’s Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said on Friday he had withdrawn from the running to become England manager…

Soccer Ruling Body FIFA Loses Copyright for World Cup Slogan (Bloomberg.com)
April 27 (Bloomberg) — FIFA, soccer’s ruling body, lost the copyright for its World Cup slogan “Fussball WM 2006,” while no judgment was passed on whether another mark has protection.

‘Magic’ Zurawski, a Pole apart
Poland’s attacking talisman Maciej Zurawski tells FIFAworldcup.com that it is a Dutchman, rather than his homeland’s football heroes, that he will be seeking to emulate at Germany 2006…

Koller could be healthy for World Cup; Totti makes return to Roma (USA Today)
Jan Koller, sidelined since September with a knee injury, could be ready to play in the Czech Republic’s World Cup opener against the United States on June 12. Also, Italian playmaker Francesco Totti returned to competitive soccer in an exhibition game with AS Roma’s junior team Thursday, two months after breaking his left leg.

Crazy Frog to Return to Plug World Cup (About.com)
Decked out in soccer kit, Crazy Frog is gearing up for a grand return as part of the festivities surrounding the World Cup Germany 2006. He will release his…

Crazy Frog to Return to Plug World Cup (About.com)
Decked out in soccer kit, Crazy Frog is gearing up for a grand return as part of the festivities surrounding the World Cup Germany 2006. He will release his…

Puma Says Net Unexpectedly Rose, Boosts Forecasts on World Cup (Bloomberg.com)
April 28 (Bloomberg) — Puma AG, Europe’s second-largest sporting-goods maker, said first-quarter profit unexpectedly rose and increased its annual forecasts for the second time in as many months ahead of this year’s World Cup soccer tournament.

Soccer: Injured Rooney faces World Cup heartbreaker (Channel NewsAsia)
LONDON : Wayne Rooney’s World Cup dream suffered a potentially shattering blow when Manchester United confirmed the striker will be out of action for six weeks after breaking his foot in the Premiership clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Soccer: Owen still on course for World Cup after scare (Channel NewsAsia)
NEWCASTLE : Striker Michael Owen is still on course for the World Cup despite suffering a scare in Newcastle’s 0-0 draw at Birmingham.

Soccer Ruling Body FIFA Loses Copyright for World Cup Slogan (Bloomberg.com)
April 27 (Bloomberg) — FIFA, soccer’s ruling body, lost the copyright for its World Cup slogan “Fussball WM 2006,” while no judgment was passed on whether another mark has protection.

England Faces `Disaster’ at Soccer World Cup If Rooney Is Out (Bloomberg.com)
April 30 (Bloomberg) — England faces “disaster” in its quest to win soccer’s World Cup for the first time in 40 years if Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney can’t recover from a broken bone in his foot, national teammate Steven Gerrard said.

Crazy Frog to Return to Plug World Cup (About.com)
Decked out in soccer kit, Crazy Frog is gearing up for a grand return as part of the festivities surrounding the World Cup Germany 2006. He will release his…

South Africa: World Cup Frenzy Sparks Trademark Rush (AllAfrica.com)
TRADEMARK registration in SA has soared as foreign and local companies rush to secure the rights to names and ideas that could be associated with the 2010 Soccer World Cup, the trade and industry department says.

South Africa: World Cup Frenzy Sparks Trademark Rush (AllAfrica.com)
TRADEMARK registration in SA has soared as foreign and local companies rush to secure the rights to names and ideas that could be associated with the 2010 Soccer World Cup, the trade and industry department says.

Soccer Ruling Body FIFA Loses Copyright for World Cup Slogan (Bloomberg.com)
April 27 (Bloomberg) — FIFA, soccer’s ruling body, lost the copyright for its World Cup slogan “Fussball WM 2006,” while no judgment was passed on whether another mark has protection.

Crazy Frog to Return to Plug World Cup (About.com)
Decked out in soccer kit, Crazy Frog is gearing up for a grand return as part of the festivities surrounding the World Cup Germany 2006. He will release his…

Puma Says Net Unexpectedly Rose, Boosts Forecasts on World Cup (Bloomberg.com)
April 28 (Bloomberg) — Puma AG, Europe’s second-largest sporting-goods maker, said first-quarter profit unexpectedly rose and increased its annual forecasts for the second time in as many months ahead of this year’s World Cup soccer tournament.

World Cup global tour ends in Saudi shopping mall (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
The World Cup trophy ended its first global tour on Saturday with a public display in a Saudi Arabian shopping mall ahead of this year’s finals in Germany.

Xavi returns to action after five-month lay-off
Barcelona midfielder Xavi returned to action nearly five months after suffering a serious knee injury when he came on as a second-half substitute during their 1-0 win at home to Cadiz on Saturday…