Football: just a game – or war with a ball?

With the World Cup in South Africa in 2010, NATO Review looked into how the world's game - football - links with security, conflict and politics. This edition describes some outstanding examples of when football has been more than just a game. For football and security enthusiasts, there are some fascinating stories. For footballphobes, the next World Cup is four years away...

Main features:

Football: divider or uniter?
Can football be used to bring people together? Or is it the cloak behind which crimes hide? NATO Review looks at how football has been used in both these ways around the world and looks at the differing attitudes to the game.

Conflicts played out on and off the pitch
Whether it's civil wars, ethnic conflicts or simply occupations, football has helped highlight differences, overcome them or been used in protest. Here are a few examples.

Photostory: key football moments caught on camera
Football's links with war and peace go back almost to the founding of the game. This selection of photos show some of the key moments when security and the game overlapped.

Defence and attack - how the forces see football
The UK forces in Afghanistan have made a video showing how important the World Cup is to them. They took time between operations there to send this message to their team.