Daqui a 37 dias estaremos todos grudados nos\u00a0iPhones, Blackberrys e televisores,\u00a0acompanhando a Copa do Mundo, a reuni\u00e3o de jogos de futebol que ser\u00e3o transmitidos este ano diretamente da \u00c1frica do Sul.<\/p>\n
Para celebrar o in\u00edcio do evento, a edi\u00e7\u00e3o de junho da revista Vanity Fair reuniu estrelas do gramado como\u00a0\u00a0Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba, Kak\u00e1 e Alexandre Pato e recrutou a fot\u00f3grafa Annie Leibovitz para registrar\u00a0retratos\u00a0dos jogadores em vers\u00f5es diferentes das que nos acostumaremos a ver nas partidas. D\u00e1 uma olhada no making of das fotos.<\/p>\n
In 38 days, it begins. The World Cup captivates more people around the globe than any other event, sporting or otherwise. Every four years, in pubs and corporate boardrooms, thatched huts and flophouses, fans of \u201cthe Beautiful Game\u201d gather around televisions and transistor radios\u2014and now, for the deep of pocket, iPhones and 3-D flat screens\u2014to cheer for their heroes. They watch and listen by the billions, holding their breath at every corner kick, falling to their knees or leaping for joy at every goal scored. That this year\u2019s tournament is in South Africa, where apartheid was the law of the land until 1994, only adds to the heightened sense of celebration\u2014this is about a whole lot more than just soccer.<\/div>\n
For the June issue of Vanity Fair, Annie Leibovitz set out to capture some of the sport\u2019s biggest stars, including Portugal\u2019s Cristiano Ronaldo, Ivory Coast\u2019s Didier Drogba, Cameroon\u2019s Samuel Eto\u2019o, and Brazil\u2019s Kak\u00e1. Leibovitz\u2019s portraits are, well, revealing. And underwear has never looked so patriotic. In America, these men might not enjoy the same name recognition as the stars of the N.F.L.\u2014that game that we call football\u2014but for most of the planet, they are more than just showstoppers. They are gods.<\/div>\n