Global football, written sharply
Iran’s squad arrived in the United States carrying more baggage than any team at this World Cup. Visa delays. Restricted training sessions. A formal FIFA complaint filed on June 19 after Amir Ghalenoei’s squad found that credential approvals and entry permits were not the same thing. They navigated all of it, played three Group G … Read more
On June 27, 1982, Austria and West Germany played 10 minutes of genuine football in Gijón, Spain. West Germany scored. The teams then spent 80 minutes passing calmly between themselves while Algeria, which had beaten West Germany three days earlier, watched from the stands as the result that would eliminate them was held in place … Read more
Days from kick-off in Mexico City, the 2026 World Cup still feels oddly distant — especially in the US. We examine why, and what the groups tell us.
