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)

A municipal worker sits on a bench, next to a statue, in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, during the 2018 soccer World Cup, Thursday, June 28, 2018. Nizhny Novgorod was a “closed city” during the Soviet era. It was known as Gorky until 1990 and it was here that dissident scientist Andrei Sakharov was held under house arrest. Now the city hosts six World Cup matches and is teeming with tourists. That was unthinkable in the Soviet era and even rare now in a city that is seldom visited by outsiders. (Photo by Vadim Ghirda/AP Photo)

A Palestinian female masked militant from the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad, takes part in an Islamic Jihad rally in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, 29 July 2016. (Photo by Mohammed Saber/EPA)

A Lion-Tailed macaque holds a big block of ice with a mix of frozen vegetables and fruit at the zoo in Leipzig, central Germany, Friday, July 19, 2013. Weather forecasts predict sunny weather and warm temperatures for Germany in the next few days. (Photo by Jens Meyer/AP Photo)

Students of Kiev's Olympic College perform during a rally in front of the Parliament building in Kiev, Ukraine, 15 September 2020. Students were protesting against the reorganization of the college, at risk of being closed, and the land where it rises which could end up for sale along with the facility's stadium. (Photo by Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA/EFE)

Freya Smith aged three, leads one of Erth’s giant dinosaur puppets across the road on August 6, 2019 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Australian theatre company Erth presents their best-selling show Dinosaur’s Zoo as part of Underbelly’s Fringe programme. Featuring giant dinosaur puppets which walk, roar and blink like the real thing, Dinosaur’s Zoo is a perfect example of edutainment for children of all ages, taking place at the McEwan Hall every day of the Fringe at 11am. (Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)

Actress Dakyta Daniela Aita rolls herself on the red carpet after its is rolled out ahead of the 96th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 6, 2024. The 96th Annual Academy Awards will be held on March 10. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP Photo)

A model showcases Jaton designs during the Fashion x Art at NGV Runway at the Ian Potter Centre on November 16, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)