The Hemisphere: Game Ending

A telephone call came through one day last week from Budapest to Rio de Janeiro's Hotel Gloria. On the Rio end, three of the world's top soccer players took their turns for one minute of conversation. On the Budapest end were the players' wives, all with the same message: "Please come home! Everything will be all right." The Hungarian government was leaving no weapon untried in an effort to lure its topflight Honved soccer team back from a renegade jaunt.

For more than a month the 19 squad members have been hailed as heroes of democracy as well as sport. On a...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!