David Beckham became the latest player to wear his heart on his sleeve when he announced he was standing down as England captain after his country's quarterfinal defeat to Portugal.

Such displays of emotion were once regarded as the almost exclusive preserve of Latin teams. Eusebio, the great Portuguese striker, famously wept tears of anguish at the World Cup 40 years ago when his country lost to England in the semifinals.

A generation on, sobbing stars the world over are no strangers to spectators in victory as well as defeat.

Ludovic Magnin of stoic Switzerland was reduced to tears when his team went out to Ukraine in the second round while Mexico's goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez had even more cause to break down in tears after his side beat Iran 3-1 in the first round. His exceptional performance in goal occurred only a day after he had attended his father's funeral.

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Professor Bernard Capp, a historian at the University of Warwick who has studied what makes it alright for men to cry in his native England, the land of the "stiff upper lip," says there is more to it than just football.

"It partly reflects changes in gender roles. It is now much more acceptable for men to be open about their emotions," Capp said.

Just as importantly, he added, football has become so much more than a game, with the atmosphere at a big match akin to that at a "religious revival meeting," a factor that lent the sport an importance which made it acceptable for men to cry.

"It's no longer about just winning," Capp said.

Cristina Versari, a sports psychologist in San Diego, said the emotional aspects of high-profile sports were driven as much these days by commercial and other considerations as by the competitive passions of the players.

"The investment is much greater so you have more to lose than you ever had," said Versari, a Brazilian who works with NBA players, citing the huge amounts of money riding on success or failure.

Versari said she had studied the contrasting behaviors of Brazilian and American judo players for her doctorate 25 years ago and found the greatest difference to be a higher degree of overt emotions among the Brazilians.

That was now changing, she said, and it was no bad thing that men in more countries felt able to show their emotions.

REUTERS