Back in the day, before FIFA spent much of its time fending off criminal indictments, the organization used to put on major international soccer tournaments.
It will get back to that on Saturday, when the largest and longest Women's World Cup in history kicks off in Edmonton, Canada. And in another break from tradition, for the first time, the U.S. won't go into the tournament as the No. 1 team in FIFA world rankings.
This year, that honor goes to Germany, the tournament favorite. But it's a crown the Germans are wearing lightly, because as many as half a dozen other teams can be considered serious contenders.