Why FIFA is struggling to sell tickets for USMNT’s World Cup opener vs. Paraguay (Gift Article) A sales document distributed to local organizers shows that plenty of seats are still available for the World Cup cohosts' first match

REVEALED:

@theathleticfc.bsky.social has seen official “tickets purchased” numbers for World Cup group games at 70k SoFi Stadium near LA.

Sales for high-priced USMNT opener are lagging significantly (40k tickets purchased) behind games such as Iran v New Zealand.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/721...

Mark Your Player, Exploit the Space: Constructing, Deconstructing, and Reconstructing Canadian Multiculturalism through a Historicization of Soccer and the Men’s National Team (1970s–2000s) | Journal of Canadian Studies The storying of the Canadian men’s national soccer team has established immigration, multiculturalism, and transnationalism as a linchpin of the team’s climb from relative obscurity. This was transparent in the framing of the team leading up to and during the team’s historic appearance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, following a 36 year-long campaign to return to the tournament. The contemporary phenomenon of celebrating ‘outsiders,’ particularly Black men, through the national team prompts the question: What has been soccer’s role in the narrative arc of Canadian multiculturalism? A widely mediated rhetoric that transmits curated information (propaganda about a nation here, for instance) raises questions as to whom it benefits. Canadian soccer notably channels a paradoxical process wherein the Other’s hypervisibility is framed as integral to Canadianness. Celebrated Black players on the national soccer squad emerge as ‘aliens’—in an ‘alien sport.’ This mechanism underscores the centrality of Whiteness at the turn of the twenty-first century that delineates multiculturalism through race. Using the team’s qualification for the 2022 Qatar World Cup as fulcrum, the aim is to explore the history of multicultural soccer’s significance in national identity (de/re)construction leading up to that moment. To unpack this, I present a historical investigation of soccer’s intersection with race, ethnicity, multiculturalism, and nationalism in Canada. This is done through an overview of the rhetoric around soccer multiculturalism from the late 1970s to the early 2000s through the Toronto Globe and Mail.

My lil paper on 'soccer multiculturalism' in Canada.

Mark Your Player, Exploit the Space: Constructing, Deconstructing, and Reconstructing Canadian Multiculturalism through a Historicization of Soccer and the Men’s National Team (1970s–2000s)

#FIFAWorldCup

utppublishing.com/stoken/autho...

I spoke with CNNi's Linda Kinkade about how the FIFA greed machine is revving up ahead of the 2026 World Cup

Cover of the business of racism: labor and environment in Brazil's racial Capitalism by Ian Carrillo

The Introduction of my book is currently free to read.

assets-us-01.kc-usercontent.com/f7ca9afb-82c...

A small, amateur club became the first in Italian football to wear a jersey with a symbol to support the LGBTQIA+ community, yesterday.

Photo of a metal pole in Helsinki, Finland with a black sticker on it that reads “Be the Luigi you want to see in the world”

“Be the Luigi you want to see in the world”
—Helsinki, April 2026

Olympic deception: Russia’s doping program is run by the same FSB team that poisoned Navalny FSB colonel Dmitry Kovalev has traveled the world to support Team Russia, sitting with his colleagues in the stands at hockey matches in South Korea and…

Olympic deception: Russia’s doping program is run by the same FSB team that poisoned Navalny

The Insider exposes the FSB directorate that handles both athletic doping and political assassinations.

theins.press/en/inv/291614

Vergonzoso que miles de personas en la Puerta de Sol de Madrid gritan cánticos llamándole a alguien, cualquier persona, una mona. En este caso llamándole a Delcy Rodríguez esta.
Luego nos preguntamos porque en partidos de fútbol escuchamos cánticos racistas y xenófobos.
🥺

Love to see this. BlueCo is an "investment vehicle" created expressly for the takeover of Chelsea back in 2022. The private equity firm Clearlake Capital is the majority shareholder in the BlueCo consortium, controlling a majority 61.5% stake in Chelsea. F*ck these "investment vehicles."

Banner held by fans of Chelsea and RC Strasbourg outside Stamford Bridge ahead of Chelsea's match against Manchester United this evening. Banner reads "BlueCo out!" next to the club badges of Strasbourg and Chelsea.

Chelsea and Strasbourg fans unite in protest against BlueCo, who own both clubs, ahead of Chelsea's game against Man United this evening. Photo by Charlotte Wilson.

Palestinian football officials worry Canada won't approve visas in time for FIFA meeting | CBC Sports Media reports published this week suggested Canada had blocked members of the Palestinian Football Association from entering the country ahead of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver later this month. Howev...

There were reports that the Palestine Football Association Canadian visas were denied ahead of FIFA Congress on April 30 in Vancouver, BC.
It's more complicated than that. No question on the importance of them being there.
Looked into it with Aloysius Wong for CBC News.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Palestine FA officials denied entry to Canada for Fifa pre-World Cup meeting Officials from the Palestine Football Association have been denied entry to Canada ahead of a pre-World Cup meeting of Fifa’s member associations to be held in Vancouver this month

Members of the Palestine FA have been denied visas to enter Canada for the pre-World Cup FIFA Congress on April 30 in Vancouver. These meetings of FIFA's member associations are the main platform the Palestinian FA use to officially raise the issue of illegal Israeli settlement clubs.

Socialists are Rising in the West - Pac/West Lobby Group Not all candidates running under the "R" or "D" label are genetically the same. On the national level, the MAGA faction has displaced the traditional Republican hierarchy while the far left, character...

Corporate lobbyists and status quo insiders are *very scared* of the rise of democratic socialism in Oregon.

They’re sounding the alarms to their people.

If we get a social safety net & expanded public services, their corporate clients lose out & they become irrelevant.

It’s existential for them.

The Shocking Secrets of Madison Square Garden's Surveillance Machine Famously vengeful Knicks owner Jim Dolan has long spied on people at his iconic arenas. WIRED goes deep inside the operation that allegedly tracked a trans woman, lawyers, protesters, and more.

Using facial recognition tech, the Knicks surveilled a trans woman, tracking her every move out of fear she'd show up on MSG's tv broadcast

And they can do it to any "enemy" of Jim Dolan, who's built his own deep state. From @noahshachtman.bsky.social & me @wired.com www.wired.com/story/madiso...

Thank you, Melissa!

A very timely book coming out by @julesboykoff.bsky.social: RED CARD: THE 2026 WORLD CUP, SPORTSWASHING, AND THE FIFA GREED MACHINE: orbooks.com/catalog/red-...

SoFi stadium workers union files complaint over ICE concerns at the World Cup (Gift Article) A formal complaint has been lodged with the National Labor Relations Board against FIFA and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment

Exclusive

A formal union complaint has been filed with the National Labor Relations Board against FIFA and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which accuses them of failing to restrict ICE access to SoFi Stadium ahead of the World Cup.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/720...

ICE Arrests 85-Year-Old French Widow Who Married Her G.I. Sweetheart

The US should not be hosting the World Cup. ICE arrests an 85-Year-Old French widow who married her US sweetheart (a veteran), & put her in a Louisiana detention center. Her 3 children in France can't reach her & fear for her health. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/16/u...

In Germany, Olympic bid boosters are claiming that hosting the Games will lead to an increase in people engaging in sport. The evidence for that frequent claim is *extremely* thin. Just ask people in London where the same promise was made & it was an epic fail
www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/j...

Trump’s Budget Request Includes Funding an FBI Anti-”Domestic Terrorism” Center The new center and funding boost represent the implementation of Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum 7.

“Trump’s budget request reveals, the FBI runs a dedicated “NSPM-7 Joint Mission Center”; with personnel from 10 federal agencies, it is busy “proactively” identifying domestic terrorists motivated by any of the following beliefs…”
truthout.org/articles/tru...

Excited to get this one into the Booked! Library. Must read with the start of fifa money grab just around the corner

Train tickets to 2026 World Cup at MetLife Stadium from NYC to cost more than $100 A return ticket via NJ Transit for the 18-mile journey from New York Pennsylvania Station ordinarily costs $12.90.

More cringeworthy price-gauging at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. NJ Transit is planning to charge *more than $100* for return rail tickets from New York’s Pennsylvania Station to MetLife Stadium (normally it's $12.90 for a return ticket). By @adamcrafton.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/719...

thank you, Hillary! Hope you enjoy the book

Photo of the cover of Jules Boykoff’s new book Kicking from Duke University Press.

A good day to finally open my campus mail. Congratulations on the new book @julesboykoff.bsky.social
Can’t wait to read. ⚽️

Cover of Kicking by Jules Boykoff. Cover is a peach color. At the top of the cover the word Practices is centered in a handwritten script. The main title is in the middle in the same script and the author's hand printed name is at the bottom.

In the lead up to the #WorldCup, pick up a copy of "Kicking" by @julesboykoff.bsky.social, which considers the beautiful game at its best and worst. Save 30% now!
buff.ly/ndMhAz9

Trump's word means very little. Plus, a sneaky ICE workaround is already in place: 3 World Cup host cities—Miami, Dallas, & Houston—have 287(g) agreements with the Trump admin, empowering local police to conduct immigration enforcement (& to get reimbursed for the salaries+benefits of officers).

Infantino and FIFA discuss asking President Trump for moratorium on World Cup ICE raids (Gift Article) Senior executives at world football's governing body hopes its president's relationship with the White House could work to their advantage

Exclusive and free to read @theathleticfc.bsky.social

FIFA’s senior executives & Gianni Infantino have spoken about him making a President-to-President plea to Donald Trump for a *full* ICE raid moratorium across the United States during World Cup.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/719...

Hmm, maybe...Worth noting that Amnesty International recently pointed out that new legislation in Texas requires every county sheriff to enter into a 287(g) agreement with ICE before December 1st, 2026, so being technically inside the Dallas borders may well be moot

World Cup tourists & fans beware: 3 World Cup host cities—Miami, Dallas, & Houston—already have 287(g) agreements with the Trump admin, empowering local police to conduct immigration enforcement activities (& to get reimbursed for the salaries & benefits of participating officers).

Why Does FIFA Want Stadium Workers' Personal Information? The governing body also wants the ability to share that information with whoever it wants—including law enforcement agencies like ICE. In California, one union is pushing back.

According to documents I obtained for @goldengoalmag.bsky.social, FIFA is demanding personal information from stadium workers ahead of the World Cup—information it says it can share with law enforcement agencies like ICE goldengoalmag.substack.com/p/why-does-f...