Latest editorial
The Olympic rings are illuminated at dusk during the 2020 Summer Olympics
Sporting calendar hit by regional instability with tournaments in the Gulf abandoned
FOOTBALL’S inclusion at the Olympics is often questioned, but past and present versions of the Games demonstrate why it does have a place.
Tomorrow’s quarter-finals in the men’s competition at Tokyo 2020 feature teams from Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, South America and North America, while only Oceania and Asia are yet to produce a gold medal-winning nation.
Compare this to the quarter-finals of the last World Cup which featured teams from Europe and South America only, while World Cup finals have only ever been contested by teams from those two regions.
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
