Here's who's missing at the World Cup: Soccer-playing grannies! | WNYC

As the World Cup kicks off, TZANEEN, South Africa hosts the Grannies International Football Tournament, or GIFT. The event maintains a strict 50-plus age rule and gathers teams from seven countries for four days in early April. In the USA’s opener, Pam Woodworth, 72, sprinted past defenders, and Sue Clippinger, 78, finished with a decisive shot. Many players described reclaiming long-held dreams after years of family and work priorities. The tournament earned the Society for Features Journalism’s top sports feature award for its reporting. Fans in TZANEEN celebrated as grannies demonstrated skill, ambition, and a love of the game.