The sometimes ramshackle goalposts were photographed in Russia and the Crimean peninsula, which it seized from Ukraine in 2014, giving a glimpse of life away from the fervour of a tournament that will be watched by fans from around the world.
Young Russians do pull-ups from the crossbar and run around on pitches in the shadow of golden onion domes, old Soviet concrete walls and modern high-rises.
Locals also find alternative uses for the rusty, netless posts that have seen better days. One man ties his goat to the upright, children take a dog for a walk, and a man gallops past another on horseback.
For the photo essay, click on https://reut.rs/2snVfV0
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(Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Alison Williams)
