Brendon Knott, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Many feel the money could be better spent developing local sport.
Argentina fans celebrating their team’s World Cup victory walk past a mural of Diego Maradona in Buenos Aires. While shared nationality is a factor, most fans typically think about players in terms of their club team.
(AP Photo/Mario De Fina)
Studying how shared identities like nationality and club affiliation impact fan support for soccer players can tell us how our group memberships affect our behaviour.
The World Cup is drawing to an end. Will the tournament be remembered for a Messi moment to rival that of Maradona’s? Or as a breakthrough yeah for African nations?
There are concerns that this World Cup’s timing could have a greater psychological impact on players compared to previous ones.
TOLGA BOZOGLU/ EPA
From factors like the number of extra games to the time non-competing players go on break, having the World Cup in the middle of the domestic season could increase injuries.
South Africa wins the Women’s African Cup of Nations in Rabat as the women’s game grows.
Fadel Senna/AFP via Getty Images
There was a significant shift towards African football as a business rather than football as development.
The European Parliament is at the centre of a corruption case that has already resulted in the indictment of several people, including one of its vice-presidents.
Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP
The ongoing corruption scandal in the EU Parliament casts a harsh light both on the practices of Qatar and on some of the flaws in the EU institutions.
Youssef En-Nesyri (c) celebrates after scoring Morocco’s first goal against Portugal during quarterfinal match on December 10 2022.
AP Photo/Martin Meissner
Football is one of the hardest sports to predict – but there are some fascinating geographical clues when we look at the latitudes of past performers and their ultimate success.
France’s goalkeeper #01 Hugo Lloris (C) jumps for the ball during the Qatar 2022 World Cup quarter-final football match between England and France at the Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, north of Doha, on December 10, 2022.
Jewel Samad/AFP
To qualify for the World Cup, Nigeria’s football structures need to link up with schools and build diverse support.
Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena – home to the LA Lakers basketball team – was known as Staples Center when sponsored by the US office supplies retailer.
Pamela Brick / Shutterstock
Being on the same pitch as superstars like Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi signalled both the scale of this achievement and the tough task ahead for a game with a troubled history in Australia.