Sports have the ability to transform groups of strangers into a united community. In the celebratory spirit surrounding the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Sony and the World Photography Organisation present UNITED – a contest honouring the passion of football fans around the world. Seven inspirational photographers have been selected by Sony and WPO to capture the atmosphere and celebration of the World Cup across the globe. Photo: France – French fans cheering for their team. (Photo by Anthony Lepinay)

Only the most intrepid urban explorers cross the tattered ruins of the old Iron Curtain to endure the excessive bureaucracy, military paranoia and freezing winds of the East to hunt for the ghosts of an empire. Rebecca Litchfield is one who couldn’t resist the haunting allure of the ruins of the Soviet Union.

Participants take part in an extreme run “Bison race” near the town of Logoisk, Belarus September 17, 2016. (Photo by Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters)

The Lexus UX concept is displayed on media day at the Paris auto show, in Paris, France, September 30, 2016. (Photo by Benoit Tessier/Reuters)

Celebrities attend The National Reality TV Awards 2016 at the Porchester Hall in London, United Kingdom on September 29, 2016. (Photo by FameFlynet UK)

Sellers sort persimmons for sale at a wholesale market in Hanoi, Vietnam October 3, 2016. (Photo by Reuters/Kham)

Contestants compete in the swimsuit segment of the Miss Venezuela 2016 pageant in Caracas, Venezuela October 5, 2016. (Photo by Marco Bello/Reuters)

Ex On The Beach star Charlotte Dawson out on the town with friends on the party island Ibiza, Spain on October 3, 2016. (Photo by Jon Baxter/ICelebTV)