soccer
Benghazi Hits the Big Leagues
As Benghazi hosts European soccer giants and boxing celebrities, Khalifa Haftar’s regime in eastern Libya is betting on sports and reconstruction to win over Libyans and the West.
No Country for Black Stars
The outrage over a display of frustration by England soccer star Jude Bellingham on the pitch continues a long-standing British discomfort with Black brilliance, exposing how soccer remains a battleground for national anxieties about race and belonging.
Africa May Be on the Cusp of a Soccer Golden Age
For decades, African soccer has been caught between immense natural talent and broken systems of governance and funding. But a convergence of changes — new leadership, diaspora players returning to their roots, Morocco’s World Cup success and grassroots investment — could tip the continent into a golden era.
What Happens to the World Cup When the World Can’t Attend?
There are growing concerns that Trump’s immigration policies could prevent both players and fans from traveling to the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 and the 2026 World Cup, both to be hosted in the U.S., raising broader questions about access to major sporting events.
Mo Salah and the Myth of the Good Immigrant
Mohamed Salah’s superstardom helped reshape Liverpool’s identity, but amid a resurgent far right and rising racial tensions, his symbolic status reveals the impossible standards placed on minorities.
How Two Zambian Players Have Raised the Profile of African Women’s Soccer
Two Zambian players defied the odds to emerge as the world's most expensive transfers in the history of women’s soccer. Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji overcame resistance from their families, unfair treatment compared with the men's team and the controversy of gender verification tests imposed by the Confederation of African Football.
Newcastle’s Soccer Strife
Yemenis living in England are obsessed with Newcastle football, yet the club’s new Saudi ownership leaves these superfans with mixed feelings, against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Yemen.