With the FIFA World Cup 2014 drawing to a close in Rio de Janeiro later today, here is a countdown of the ten most popular Dezeen stories about the tournament including boot design, jersey graphics, stadium architecture and informal pitches. More about Dezeen's top ten FIFA World Cup 2014 architecture and design stories
Players in tonight's World Cup final in Brazil will battle for possession of the Brazuca, the official tournament ball. Adidas global football innovation director Antonio Zea told us how robot legs, shooting machines and wind tunnels were employed to make this "the most tested match ball ever" (+ interview). More about World Cup 2014 final features "most tested" football ever
News: these new renders of the controversial Tokyo Olympic stadium by Zaha Hadid Architects show changes to the shape of the building, which has been altered following a budget cut (+ slideshow). More about New images of Zaha Hadid's modified Tokyo Olympic stadium design
News: Zaha Hadid Architects has confirmed it is adapting its design for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic stadium, following budget changes and ongoing criticism – including a 500-person street protest last weekend. More about Zaha Hadid modifies controversial Tokyo Olympic stadium design
Swiss office Virdis Architecture clad this sports hall near Lausanne in vertical timber slats, but left toothpick-shaped gaps to allow light to filter through. More about Timber walls feature narrow vertical slices at Virdis Architecture's Lussy Sports Hall
London firm Stanton Williams has transformed the training facility it designed for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games into a major sporting venue for the UK's hockey and tennis organisations (+ slideshow). More about Stanton Williams converts Olympic training venue into hockey and tennis centre
England's nail-biting World Cup football match against Italy on Saturday took place inside this basket-inspired stadium designed by German firm GMP Architekten in a city in the middle of the Amazon rainforest (+ slideshow). More about Manaus stadium by GMP Architekten hosts four World Cup football matches
A stack of ceramic-clad boxes forms this monolithic swimming pool complex in the Netherlands by Slangen+Koenis Architecten (+ slideshow). More about Chequered facade surrounds swimming pool complex by Slangen+Koenis Architecten
This tilting sports centre by Archi5 and Tecnova Architecture has a multi-hued basalt facade and a faceted roof garden (+ slideshow). More about Parisian suburb gets monolithic, tilting sports centre with basalt facade
News: Herzog & de Meuron has completed an open-air gymnasium in Natal, Brazil – the flagship project for the Swiss firm's regeneration of the Mãe Luiza neighbourhood (photos by Leonardo Finotti + slideshow). More about Herzog & de Meuron completes Arena do Morro gymnasium in Brazil
Patterns referencing the footwork of figure skaters decorate the underside of a roof sheltering this ice rink in Brooklyn, New York, designed by American firm Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects. More about Tod Williams and Billie Tsien complete sheltered ice skating rink in Brooklyn
News: football star David Beckham has unveiled proposals to build a 25,000-seat stadium for his new Major League Soccer (MLS) team on the waterfront in Miami. More about David Beckham unveils seafront stadium proposal for Miami port
Twenty huge aluminium petals fold around this 42,000-seat stadium that sports architecture firm Populous has completed in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, ahead of the FIFA World Cup kicking off this summer (+ slideshow). More about Populous completes Arena das Dunas for FIFA World Cup 2014
Here are some wintery views of the new spotty stadium for Belarusian football club FC BATE Borisov designed by Slovenian firm OFIS Arhitekti, which is nearing completion and looks set to open later this year (+ slideshow). More about OFIS Arhitekti's spotty stadium for FC BATE Borisov nears completion
These photographs show the newly converted aquatics centre by Zaha Hadid Architects for the London 2012 Olympics, which will open to the public next week without the controversial wings that housed additional seating during the Games. More about Zaha Hadid's Olympic aquatics centre due to open in its completed form
The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games get underway this Friday with an opening ceremony inside a Fabergé egg-inspired stadium by sports architecture firm Populous. More about Sochi Winter Olympics commence inside Populous-designed stadium
Portuguese architect Álvaro Fernandes Andrade has completed a training facility for Olympic-standard rowers where angular white volumes snake across a tiered landscape of grassy slopes and dry-stone walls (+ slideshow). More about Rowing facility by Álvaro Fernandes Andrade snakes across a landscape of underground dorms
Dutch designer Richard Hutten has created a conference table that can easily be converted for a game of ping pong. More about Richard Hutten designs combined conference and ping pong table
Bands of light shine through the perforated metal facade of this sports hall by French studio Ateliers O-S Architectes in north-west Paris (+ slideshow). More about Parisian sports hall by Ateliers O-S Architectes with bands of light on its walls
Faceted concrete blocks protrude from one side of this sports hall in Croatia, while its bumpy southern and western walls were made by casting concrete panels over a bed of stones (+ slideshow). More about Concrete-clad sports hall by Idis Turato features both faceted and bumpy facades