Iran’s World Cup 2026: Tickets Revoked, Flag Rows and #168 Pins
Iran’s ticket allocation for World Cup 2026 has been revoked. We examine the political flashpoints surrounding Group G’s most complicated story.
FIFA
World Cup 2026 Azteca Water Crisis: The Televisa Concession Behind ‘El Mundial del Despojo’
Hours before Mexico’s biggest match of the tournament, someone else showed up at the Azteca first. On the evening of July 4, residents of Santa Úrsula Coapa, the neighborhood pressed against the stadium’s southern flank, staged a blockade near the ground while Mexico City police looked on. Their banners didn’t mention England, altitude, or the … Read more
Omar Artan Denied US Entry: World Cup 2026’s Visa Crisis Explained
Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the US despite valid papers. We examine the World Cup 2026 visa crisis and what it means for FIFA’s tournament.
World Cup 2026 Carbon Footprint: The 88% FIFA Won’t Discuss
FIFA has spent two years bragging about the stadiums. Thirteen of the sixteen World Cup 2026 venues are LEED-certified. Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta runs on more than 4,000 solar panels and became the first professional sports venue in North America to hit LEED Platinum. Water-saving fixtures across the host cities are projected to save over … Read more
Argentina’s Passport Leak: A Security Blunder Before the World Cup
Argentina’s entire squad passport details were leaked before their Iceland friendly. What does the security blunder mean for football data governance ahead…
The DHS Secretary’s ‘Happy Dance’ Reveals FIFA’s Biggest Problem
The DHS Secretary’s ‘Happy Dance’ Reveals FIFA’s Biggest Problem Markwayne Mullin didn’t mince words. Standing at a World Cup security briefing in Washington on Monday, the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary told reporters he was “so glad they’re gone” after Iran drew their way out of Group G. “There wasn’t a single team,” he said, “that … Read more
World Cup 2026: Hakimi Faces Trial, and FIFA Has No Rule for It
On Monday, Achraf Hakimi will captain Morocco in the World Cup Round of 32 against the Netherlands in Guadalupe, Mexico. He is his country’s best player. He is also confirmed, since June 19, to stand trial for rape in a French criminal court. FIFA has said nothing. Morocco’s coach backs him. Sections of the crowd … Read more
Iran’s World Cup 2026 Complaint: The FIFA Charter Problem Nobody Will Acknowledge
Amir Ghalenoei put a question to the other 47 World Cup 2026 coaches. None of them answered. “We are here for football, not politics, and we are saying that again,” the Iran head coach said, after a month in which his squad arrived in Los Angeles with fewer than 16 hours before kickoff, watched their … Read more
Brazil’s World Cup 2026 Referee Complaint: What FIFA Can and Can’t Do About It
Brazil’s World Cup 2026 Referee Complaint: What FIFA Can and Can’t Do About It Brazil’s formal World Cup 2026 referee complaint, filed by the Confederação Brasileira de Futebol on 26 June, arrived with the clarity of a legal brief. The CBF demanded that referee Cesar Ramos be removed from all future Brazil fixtures. It cited … Read more
Seattle’s Pride Match Dilemma and the World Cup’s Wider Culture War
Seattle pushes ahead with Pride celebrations around Egypt v Iran despite protests from both nations. What does it mean for FIFA, host cities, and the tourn…
