JAMES NALTON celebrates Ruben Blades’s song Patria – played before Panama’s game against Ghana — a song inspiring hope instead of hate

Concerns grow over whether new stoppage rules serve profit rather than football’s integrity, writes JAMES NALTON

Zohran Mamdani pushes an inclusive vision for football, but basketball still dominates the city’s imagination, writes JAMES NALTON

Wharton impresses for Crystal Palace in Leipzig while Tuchel’s squad selection comes under scrutiny, writes JAMES NALTON

Marsch’s side look to build on rapid progress as they prepare for a landmark home tournament, writes JAMES NALTON

Calls for justice drowned out by choreographed symbolism and power politics at Fifa Congress, writes JAMES NALTON

World Championship secured in Sheffield until 2045 as new generation of players prepares to compete, writes JAMES NALTON

Expanded teams bring historic diversity, yet high prices and US entry barriers threaten to make it the most exclusionary tournament yet, writes JAMES NALTON

If the United States wants international success in a game it built, maybe it should embrace the joy of the game rather than the unnecessary military pageantry, writes JAMES NALTON

Travel bans, visa refusals and political tensions have raised some serious questions about the tournament’s integrity, writes JAMES NALTON

As the 2026 tournament approaches, Fifa’s World Cup hosting controversies reach new extremes, writes JAMES NALTON

Negotiations over pay, conditions and league structure could have a longer-lasting impact than the 2026 tournament and high-profile signings, writes JAMES NALTON

Elliott’s situation shows how appearance-based clauses can reshape careers in unintended ways, JAMES NALTON discusses

Debutants deliver as rugby league’s new campaign recognises its roots, writes JAMES NALTON

Britain’s medal-winning curling team are back on the ice as the Winter Olympics get under way in Italy, writes JAMES NALTON

Manchester City boss speaks in Barcelona as rare senior figure in elite sport to challenge silence over Gaza, writes JAMES NALTON

Player’s proposed move to Tottenham may make sense on paper, but his value to the Reds goes far beyond minutes and money, JAMES NALTON discusses

Forward’s rise as the tournament’s leading scorer reflects a journey shaped by heritage and belief as Morocco reach the final, writes JAMES NALTON

Afcon performances suggest a team far stronger than qualifying results showed, JAMES NALTON discusses

The Congolese revolutionary’s image re-emerges through a supporter’s statuesque silent protest during DR Congo’s group-stage win, writes JAMES NALTON

Fifa’s empty promises of affordable access collapse as the 2026 World Cup becomes a showcase for profit over people, writes JAMES NALTON

While Fifa stages political theatre, the MLS Cup pits Vancouver’s collective spirit against Miami’s star-studded side, writes JAMES NALTON

As Fifa promises ‘the most inclusive World Cup ever,’ Haitian and Iranian fans are among those blocked from entering one of the host nations, writes JAMES NALTON

A demonstration lifts the lid on the UAE’s alleged support for the RSF and calls out Britain’s own arms links to the atrocities, writes JAMES NALTON

For the Gunners boss, ‘execution’ isn’t about brutality but precision — a mindset that’s driving his squad from nearly-men to genuine title contenders, writes JAMES NALTON 

JAMES NALTON writes on the bizarre Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv scandal

As the 2025 Championships kick off, Pacific island nations continue to defy the odds — proving that population size is no barrier to producing world-class sport, writes JAMES NALTON

As La Liga and Serie A plan overseas fixtures, loyal fans are left behind in a capitalist power grab Uefa claims to regret, but enabled anyway, writes JAMES NALTON

There are few more entertaining sports when played at this level, argues JAMES NALTON

Despite damning findings, Israel remains in World Cup contention - raising questions over football’s role in global accountability, writes JAMES NALTON

A century-old rivalry enters a new chapter as the Toffees’ move from Goodison Park reshapes the landscape of the Merseyside derby, writes JAMES NALTON

Governing bodies’ refusal to offer discounted tickets to local fans for 2026 is drawing criticism from politicians and grassroots movements alike, writes JAMES NALTON

The captain’s emotional performance in Argentina’s win over Venezuela had all the markings of a farewell. But if history is any guide, the legend may not be done just yet, writes JAMES NALTON

As football grapples with overloaded calendars and commercial pressure, the Mariners’ triumph reminds us why the game’s soul lives far from the spotlight, writes JAMES NALTON

JAMES NALTON takes a look at the German league’s move to grow its audience in Britain, and around the future of football on TV in general

As the concept of league games being played overseas has come about once again, JAMES NALTON writes how a club is not a club without its links to location, community and fans

Vermont Green FC’s viral Bernie Sanders tifo was more than a joke. It was a sharp critique of US soccer’s top-heavy capitalism and a celebration of grassroots power, writes JAMES NALTON

Palestinian football has been decimated, its players killed, its stadiums reduced to rubble. Yet the global game has looked away silent in the face of genocide, and will remain a stain on the sport, writes JAMES NALTON

The Red’s title defence is built on clever recruitment, long-term planning, and data-led strategy. In contrast, the Magpies are falling behind — and blaming the wrong things, writes JAMES NALTON

With climate change, commercial overload and endless fixtures, footballers are being pushed to breaking point. It’s time their unions became a more powerful, unified force, writes JAMES NALTON

Joao Pedro’s emotional goals against Fluminense captured the magic of an international club competition. But even as fans bring colour and passion, the Club World Cup’s deeper issues loom large, writes JAMES NALTON

JAMES NALTON writes how at the heart of the big apple, the beautiful game exists as something more community-oriented, which could benefit hugely under mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani

JAMES NALTON discusses how Fifa claims to be apolitical, but as Infantino and Juventus players stood behind Trump discussing war, gender, and global politics, the line between sport and statecraft vanished

The competition sounds good on paper, and has potential to be great, but Fifa has gone out of its way to mess it up, JAMES NALTON explains

As Liverpool lifted the title and Everton said goodbye to Goodison, Merseyside’s unity shone through in the face of tragedy, writes JAMES NALTON

JAMES NALTON discusses the use of dynamic ticket pricing at the 2026 World Cup and how it amplifies a culture already set up to squeeze as much money from fans as possible

The PFA is urging Fifa action against illegal Israeli settlement clubs and incitement to genocide, writes JAMES NALTON

The powerhouse Liverpool forward secured a record-breaking 90 per cent of the vote, while Arsenal’s Alessia Russo topped a wide field to win the women’s award, writes JAMES NALTON 

JAMES NALTON writes on how the title win has sparked long-awaited celebrations among fans after a triumph four years — and one pandemic — in the making

JAMES NALTON hails the rise of the number of Chinese players heading to the Crucible   

As the historic ground prepares for its emotional farewell, even visiting teams like Manchester City are paying tribute to one of English football’s most storied stadiums, writes JAMES NALTON

A new front in the fight for football’s soul is emerging — one rooted in trade union values and collective power