Global football, written sharply
You need one number to understand what Cape Verde have done at the 2026 World Cup: 27. That’s how many shots Spain took on June 15 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Spain had 74 percent of the ball and seven shots on target. Lamine Yamal came off the bench. Ferran Torres hit the crossbar. And … Read more
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…
FIFA’s ad-break hydration stops have united the world in irritation. Plus Scotland sweat, Australia scrape through, and Elanga rescues Sweden.
When nearly 2,000 SoFi Stadium hospitality workers authorized a strike by 96 percent in early June, the timing looked like textbook leverage. The USA’s World Cup 2026 group stage matches were locked in at Inglewood. FIFA had no power to move them. A walkout at the host nation’s marquee venue would have been the most … Read more
Two group-stage matches risk being played out as calculated draws. The 48-team World Cup’s structural problem isn’t theoretical anymore — it’s on the sch…
Thapelo Maseko plays for AEL Limassol in the Cypriot First Division. On Wednesday night, his goal sent South Africa to the World Cup 2026 knockout stage for the first time in the country’s history, and now his name travels further than his league table usually allows. Tshepang Moremi pulled the ball back from the byline. … Read more
FIFA mandates three-minute hydration breaks at all 104 World Cup 2026 matches. Player welfare or a broadcaster bonanza? Daniel Hart runs the numbers.
From Ronaldo’s sixth World Cup to Scotland’s stagnation and the Trionda ball controversy, FootyGazette unpacks what the 2026 tournament is really telling us.
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
There’s a concise way to describe the central challenge of World Cup transport at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex has seven million people, two major rail networks, and an urban core with genuine transit culture. AT&T Stadium holds 80,000 fans, hosts nine matches (more than any other venue in the tournament), … Read more
