The myth of England’s “fair play” fetish
In sport and politics, the English boast that they always play by the rules – but history tells a different…
ByFootball
Dive into the world of football with our collection of columns, articles and longer-read features.
Can the Conservatives use football reform to rebuild Red Wall trust?
A new report underlines the sport’s importance in the north of England. For Rishi Sunak, club regulation could be an…
By
Norway’s golden generation of athletes proves the value of sport as a public good
A unique commitment to making the “joy of sport” available to all is producing world-class talent in everything from golf…
By
I missed one of the best World Cup finals ever, but now I know all about the crisis in the NHS
We asked if we could turn the match on in A&E and were told: “This is a hospital. Not a…
By
The problem with sport’s endless “greatest of all time” debates
Fans’ fixation on the concept of greatness has become an absurd identity politics.
By
Don’t deny that Pelé was the greatest footballer
The real problem for many is that the Brazilian played in an older, unfamiliar time, but his legacy will never…
By
Qatar are the real winners of the World Cup
Despite the migrant deaths, the homophobic laws, the alleged corruption, in the end football trumped everything.
By
How much does it cost to watch a game of football?
Is it cheaper to watch matches at home or the pub? The football cost-of-living crisis – in numbers.
By How I went viral at Spurs, why believing isn’t magic, and Jack Grealish’s calves go global
It feels weird having it in the desert, but the highlight of the season is still the World Cup.
By
Gareth Southgate’s real legacy will be measured not in trophies but in happiness
This is one of the most united England squads in recent memory.
By
Qatar proves that sportswashing works
Once we promised not to watch the World Cup, but now the excitement of football has silenced concerns over corruption,…
By
Qatar 2022 is gaslighting LGBTQ+ people
Fifa pretends to show allyship, but uses us as a political football.
By
The Qatar World Cup is a moral disaster – is it braver to step away, or step inside?
Nothing that happens on the pitch can possibly salvage the horrors that brought this tournament about.
By
Leader: What the World Cup tells us about power
In sport, as in politics, principles do not count for much if we only observe them when the cost of…
By
Iran’s brave act of defiance puts England to shame
The day before England faced Iran on the pitch, Ehsan Hajsafi told the media that Iranians should know “we are…
By
Don’t kid yourself any good can come of the Qatar World Cup
My experience shows Qatari events cannot transcend their debased foundation.
By
The unlikely success of a Ukrainian football team, with Adam Crafton
Shakhtar Donetsk has been unable to play at home since 2014.
In Qatar’s paranoid parallel universe, the World Cup is just a prop in a theatre of war
This is not just “sportswashing”: it’s very real power play.
By
The tragedy of English football
The miracle of 1966 aside, Paul Hayward’s “biography” of England’s national team is a story of sorry failure.
By Strength, lovely lips and superhuman skill: why Erling Haaland can’t be stopped
The wonder striker at Manchester City has scored 23 goals in his first 15 games for the club. Incredible.
By