To celebrate the popularity of football, or soccer as it is called in the United States, and to coincide with the World Cup, the National Geographic Museum in Washington D.C. organized an exhibit of pictures of people of all ages and cultures, playing soccer. This report is narrated by Carolyn Weaver.

There are images we have all seen around the world. What makes the particular 52 pictures different is that they were taken by some of the best photographers in the world, says Susan Norton, director of the National Geographic Museum.

"We know that on the news every night and on the sports channels you will be seeing professional soccer. But because soccer is everywhere, we wanted to show people playing soccer everywhere, normal people like you and me, even animals in the exhibition playing soccer," she told us.

The animal pictures are among the favorites in the exhibition, which runs through the end of October. They include acheetah, a dolphin and an elephant, playing with a soccer ball. And they were one of the reasons the exhibit is called "Soccer: planet at play."

"Also we have a mini stadium set up so that you can actually view some World Cupfootagefrom the past",said Ms. Norton, "but as of today at 11:55 we'll be showing live soccer from the World Cup."

The exhibit is a celebration of the joy and the passion for the most popular sport on the planet, one that does not know racial, cultural or age differences.