Football | Football Paradise

Are We Ever Going to Look Beyond the Skin?

The opening sequence of Inglorious Basterds is a masterclass on how to write a lede.…

New Zealand, Australia, football, Oceania, Kiwi football, Aussie football, A-League, the domestic game, league football, National League

New Zealand Football: Domestic Matters

In this four-part series, Ryan Murray unravels the complex tapestry of New Zealand football, delves…

Victor Osimhen, Napoli, Nigeria, Wolfsburg, Charleroi, Lille, football, star, hero, Scudetto, Naples

From Wolfsburg misfit to immortality in Naples: the rise, blip, and rise of Victor Osimhen

In Naples, football is more than a sport. This southern city, famous for its natural…

Football, Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, domestic football, A-League

New Zealand Football: A Challenging Backdrop

In this four-part series, Ryan Murray unravels the complex tapestry of New Zealand football, delves…

Barcelona, Barca, La Liga, superclub, rebuild, referee scandal, football, mes que un club

Barca: The Albatross Around FC Barcelona’s Neck

The smoke signals have been fired. Barcelona lead the La Liga table by thirteen points.…

football, mental health, identity, belonging, football positions, belief

Football, Mental Health, and Belonging

I like to think that everything in life is a metaphor. Things can be broken…

KRC Genk, Genk, Dutch football, youth football, academy football, youth academy

KRC Genk – The Belgian academy producing some of football’s biggest stars

Tucked away in Eastern Belgium, closer to the Dutch border than the major Belgian cities,…

Arsenal, Arsenal Football Club, football, fan culture, belonging, Mikel Arteta, football twitter

Football Twitter, Arsenal, and Coming Back to Myself

Getting older is a peculiar experience, particularly hitting 40. There are highs—a new decade, the…

Football Inclusion Trans athletes Fan Culture Women's Football

Y’All Means Y’All: Why Women’s Football and Trans Players Need Each Other

Have you ever played on a football team? Perhaps you play for a grassroots team.…

FC Start World War II Death Match Ukraine Nazi Germany Football

FC Start and the Legend of ‘The Death Match’

The 1981 sports war movie Escape to Victory, starring Hollywood icons like Sylvester Stallone and…

CONIFA International Football Nationalism FIFA Football

CONIFA: Football’s Hidden Movement

In Qatar, the dust, in both a literal and figurative sense, is just settling after…

Alphonso Davies of Canada takes a penalty against Belgium in a Group F fixture at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar

Maple Leafs and Terrified Devils — A Match Report of Canada against Belgium

Canada gave Belgium an almighty scare in Wednesday’s Group F fixture, losing gallantly and challenging the perception of the World Cup’s “heavyweights”.

Making an Athlete – Review of Soul by Jonathan Harding

Simone Biles considers the Tokyo 2020 Olympics balance beam bronze medal her most meaningful win,…

Interview with Stefano Cusin, the Italian globetrotter who’s on a quest in Africa

In an interview, Stefano Cusin, the Italian manager of the South Sudan national team, speaks of his experiences, beliefs, and a love for challenge.

Ramadan and Football: The Synergy of Faith and Sport

The holy month of Ramadan saw several elite footballers fasting and yet contributing vastly on the pitch. Undeterred faith seems to have played a significant role in that.