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Football’s civil war continues

Football’s civil war continues

What began with Gianni Infantino’s ill-conceived plan to sell off a share of the rights to future World Cups to a private investment group, linked to US President Donald Trump, has now escalated to the

Messi pondering retirement

Messi pondering retirement

Lionel Messi is considering bringing down the curtain on his extraordinary football career. It follows the death of his father, and long-term agent, Jorge Messi at the age of 68, and, although he is under

From World Cup hero to Barcelona reject?

Ferran Torres has just scored the winning goal in a World Cup final for Spain. Yet despite reaching the biggest moment of his career, his future at Barcelona is far from certain. There is an

FIFA’s voting system gives its president too much power

FIFA’s voting system gives its president too much power

When Gianni Infantino floated the idea of selling a stake in the commercial rights to the FIFA World Cup, the proposal was met with disbelief and outrage in many corners of football. Although he was

A Bridge Too Far

A Bridge Too Far

Finally, even by Gianni Infantino’s audacious standards, he went too far. Arguably, the FIFA president had crossed the Rubicon long before. The way that human rights abuses in Russia and Qatar in 2018 and 2022

FIFA’s latest betrayal

FIFA’s latest betrayal

There was a time when the FIFA World Cup belonged to football. It generated enormous revenues, but those revenues were a consequence of staging the world's greatest sporting event rather than the purpose of it.

The Thin End of the Wedge?

The Thin End of the Wedge?

Hydration breaks became one of the World Cup's most divisive innovations. Ostensibly introduced to give players respite in the hot and humid North American conditions, they also became an additional advertising opportunity for broadcasters. Many

Moving on from a legend

Moving on from a legend

There is no replacing Lionel Messi. Or Cristiano Ronaldo. Or Luka Modrić. Three players. Three nations. Three careers that redefined what was possible. Each became more than a footballer. They became an identity. Argentina played

Don’t Cry for Me Argentina

Don’t Cry for Me Argentina

Don't cry for me, Argentina. Not this time. Football has always been about more than talent. It's about how you conduct yourself when everything is on the line, and, perhaps more importantly, how you conduct

Everybody is entitled to their own opinion about football

Everybody is entitled to their own opinion about football

One of the enduring qualities of football is that everybody is entitled to an opinion. A person does not have to be a professional footballer or have represented their country multiple times to understand the