Serey Die’s tears explained, Suarez’s brilliance and super-sized seats

Serey Die was obviously emotionally moved before Ivory Coast's game with Colombia on Thursday, but it wasn't because his father had died hours earlier as many outlets reported.

Serey Die fights back tears during the national anthem of Ivory Coast prior to their game against Colombia on Thursday at the 2014 World Cup. Ueslei Marcelino / Reuters / June 19, 2014

Ivory Coast
Sobbing uncontrollably throughout his national anthem on Thursday night, Ivory Coast midfielder Serey Die provided one of the evocative images of the World Cup, though few understood the back story regarding his torrent of tears. Die never thought he would play for his country, never mind on world football's biggest stage, and it overwhelmed him. "My life has always been difficult," Die said. "It's true, I thought about my father, who died in 2004. I also thought about my tough life – I didn't think that one day, I would be here, playing. I fought [the tears], but I couldn't." Teammate Kolo Toure said: "He really loves his country – we don't see that in football."
Fifa
A total of 4,676 super-sized seats at the 12 World Cup stadiums have been reserved for obese people. The seats can accommodate a spectator weighing up to 250 kilograms and are twice the size of normal seats. The seats are for fans whose body-mass index is above 30, Fifa said. An index greater than 25 is considered overweight, while above 30 is considered obese. "They were put in place in accordance with Brazilian building regulations and also in line with efforts by Fifa to combat all forms of discrimination and make football accessible to all," a Fifa spokesman said.
Uruguay
Diego Lugano might be the captain of the Uruguay team, but if there was any doubt about who drives the team bus, it was answered in a 2-1 win over England, when Liverpool star Luis Suarez scored two goals in his first game since undergoing knee surgery a month ago. "Our team really revolves around him," Lugano told Fifa's website. "We'd love to have 10 players of his ability ... But we've got a few guys who can make a difference, like he does with his brilliance, and the rest of us are all grafters."
Iran
When Iran qualified for the World Cup last year, there was dancing in the streets, with millions gathering to celebrate a rare sporting achievement. It was a rare sight in the Islamic republic to see both sexes mixing so freely. Indeed, police elected to stand by and let the fun flow for a few hours. However, now that Iran is competing in Brazil, authorities in Tehran do not want a similarly spontaneous reaction. The message is simple: stay home to watch the games. Restaurants and other businesses have been warned not to show matches publicly.
Brazil
An exhibition of football jerseys that includes a Nazi-era shirt and one from Mussolini's fascist regime is raising eyebrows among visitors to a busy shopping mall in Salvador. The exhibition includes more than 100 replicas and originals from different nations, dating back to the first World Cup in 1930.
When visitor Rolf Zettel saw a football shirt with a Nazi swastika on it, he said, "Is this a joke or what? Germany, 1934, a despicable time." The owner of the collection said the display was sanctioned by the Brazilian World Cup organising committee.
Colombia
Dutch actress Nicolette van Dam resigned as a Unicef global ambassador on Thursday, a move prompted by her tweet of a doctored photo appearing to depict Colombian players Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez snorting cocaine. One of the world's largest charities, Unicef offered its "most sincere apologies" to the Colombian footballers for "the shameful and offensive post" from Van Dam.
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