Ken Early: World Cup feats by Messi and Mbappé go against efforts to break players’ flow
Fifa and other football rule-makers seem determined to destroy the sport’s defining characteristic
Gianni Infantino
Fifa ‘shoutout’ gimmick open to all manner of infantile manipulation
World Cup has also been used by Argentina as an opportunity to stop bad parents having fun
‘A distinct absence of joy’: The World Cup’s return to the US has been overshadowed
With the tournament at risk of being overshadowed by politics and pricing, American players have tried to shift the focus to their football in advance of their game against Paraguay
World Cup 2026, Day 1: I stayed up all night so you didn’t have to
Opening ceremony was actually quite enjoyable, though Gianni Infantino might not have liked the boos
Ken Early: Driving through Mexico City it’s clear not everyone is in love with this World Cup
Teachers’ strikes highlight the chasm between ordinary workers’ wages and the premium price of match tickets
Ken Early: Gianni Infantino rolls out the platitudes and gratitudes in press conference
Fifa chief addressed Iran, ticket prices and visa problems at event in Mexico City, but didn’t hit the dramatic heights of Qatar 2022
The World Cup is still free to watch in Ireland, but for how much longer?
More and more sports broadcast rights are moving to subscription services and that is likely to continue
Under-3s training for $165: Why the US is the only World Cup nation where soccer is a country club
Parents of most youngsters taking up soccer in the US are well placed to afford the high sums it takes to put them in competitive arenas
Ken Early: Gianni Infantino has little reverence, respect or feeling for football – it’s all about the money
Fifa president has focused on increasing World Cup revenue to the detriment of the game’s greatest showpiece
Politics of Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino dominate event with flood the zone defence
Sporting anticipation for this World Cup is at an all-time low, and for good reason
Here in Trump’s US the staggering expense of daily life casts a shadow over the World Cup
A record 48 teams will play across US, Canada and Mexico for sport’s most prestigious prize
The best quotes of the football season from Roy Keane, Hallgrímsson, Messi and more
Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta and Cristiano Ronaldo wisely hinted at what was to come this year
Fifa’s fleece ’em all mentality has immunised Americans against World Cup fever
Many American soccer fans do not appear especially excited. Even Donald Trump has baulked at the ticket prices
Italian sports minister dismisses plan for Azzurri to replace Iran at 2026 World Cup
Andrea Abodi says proposal put forward by a special envoy to Donald Trump ‘is firstly not possible, and secondly not appropriate’
Trump’s World Cup has a strong whiff of the last days of Rome
With a host nation at war and ‘Fifa’ rendered as a swear word, escapism will be hard to find this summer
Drink in the jeopardy of the World Cup playoffs, it’s the last we’ll get for a while
The expansion of this summer’s 48-team tournament mean Tuesday’s games will be the best we see until the round of 16
Malachy Clerkin: Fifa’s risible punishment of Israeli FA is a dereliction of duty
The world governing body was scathing in its condemnation of the IFA for discrimination but let it off with a slap on the wrist
Fifa rule all women’s teams must have female coaches
‘There are simply not enough women in coaching today,’ Fifa chief football officer says
Donald Trump says Iran should not play in World Cup for their ‘life and safety’
Comment comes just days after telling Fifa president Gianni Infantino that Iran would be welcome despite the war
Ken Early: Infantino unlikely to reflect on World Cup host US attacking participant Iran
Fifa chief has never been afraid to risk a little embarrassment in pursuit of what he wants
Tottenham’s existential strife, and a couple of heartwarming stories from the soccer world
Plus: The cost of watching PSG; and the extraordinary behaviour of Jamie Vardy
Who is going to stand up for football against Gianni Infantino?
When you think what Fifa could be, it’s sad to see what it is
Ken Early: Why football has boycotted Russia but not Israel – yet
Ireland would face serious consequences for deciding not to play against Israel. That doesn’t necessarily mean they shouldn’t refuse
Uefa boss Aleksander Ceferin declines to support Gianni Infantino comments on Russia ban
Fifa president suggested Russia’s return to underage competitions across Europe ‘would help’ and that ban ‘has not achieved anything’
Gianni Infantino says Fifa would have a look into allowing Russia back into international football
Fifa president sorry for offending British fans and defends Trump peace prize
Could European countries boycott the World Cup over Donald Trump?
Some key figures expect military aggression would be the breaking point for Uefa
Fifa’s Gianni Infantino condemns Senegal’s walk-off in Africa Cup of Nations final
Sadio Mané says his team would have been ‘crazy’ not to return to the pitch
‘A group of people decided to kill me’: Michel Platini on Fifa, Uefa and clearing his name
Former Uefa president talks candidly on his downfall, the game’s governance and Gianni Infantino
Malachy Clerkin: Trump is showing Fifa what a shameful mistake its bogus peace prize was
The US president has spent the month since his award showing Gianni Infantino and the world that he is the war-mongerer in chief
Fifa does not have to rip off World Cup fans to this extent
Gianni Infantino is deploying a deliberate strategy to benchmark the World Cup against the most expensive live event in sports
Ken Early: Trump and Infantino’s maniacal new World Cup order
World Cup draw took place against a backdrop of Europe being continually told it no longer matters
Donald Trump and humanity’s official happiness provider team up to turn World Cup weird
Gianni Infantino can be Johnny, but Rio Ferdinand is no Pele
Begrudging a canny fan and his near-perfect World Cup plan
Thoughts on Pep Guardiola’s character, Alexander Isak’s attitude and another strange night in Istanbul
Trump, Infantino and the YMCA: World Cup draw at once unwatchable and mesmerising
World Cup draw was for tournament to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico
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