Sports
Soccer, Power and the Politics of America’s World Cup
Simon Kuper joins Faisal Al Yafai on the podcast to discuss the politics of the 2026 World Cup, why he says America "isn't just Trump," and how soccer became a vehicle for money and power.
A Fan With a Microphone
From the BBC's numbered pitch grids to Issam Chaouali's poetic eruptions, commentators have shaped not just how soccer is watched but how it is remembered.
Rafael Nadal as Primal Experience
Rafael Nadal’s energy and uncanny intensity made watching him play an ecstatic experience that transcended tennis. All kinds of people who don’t follow the sport responded to him on a visceral level. You don’t need to know anything about tennis to “get” Rafa and his aura.
Boxing, Celebrity and the Death of Mastery
From Jake Paul’s bout with Anthony Joshua to Andrew Tate’s foray into the ring, celebrity boxing has become a stage where spectacle is increasingly displacing mastery.
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.