The dance of the virtuoso: Lessons from the World Cup
The platitude of football being a team game has been heard by everyone, but we…
A walk through Hungary: Once the axis of football, now a distant admirer
Our in-house writer visited Budapest, the focal-point for the best of European football not so…
Neymar: Brazil’s little misunderstood genius behind all the theatrics
Neymar at Russia 2018 came out with the reputation of a farceur, but behind everything…
Doped Up on Delirium – The madness of World Cup 2018
World Cup 2018 was one of the most memorable major football tournaments in recent times,…
Argentina at Russia 2018: The self-destructive version of viveza-criolla
There was a lot to dislike about Argentina’s conduct at this World Cup, and it’s…
Jo Hyeun-woo – South Korea’s accidental World Cup hero
When the World Cup started, South Korea’s choice of goalkeeper lay elsewhere. Jo Hyun-woo used…
“If He Was Brazilian” – In Defence of Jordan Henderson
If Jordan Henderson’s surname was Hendrao or Hendrinho, every forward pass would have been memorable…
Luka Modric – The Monk of Silent Spaces, Between Bombs and Bravura
You might not see his face on magazine cover pictures or Times Square billboards, but…
No Man’s Land: Navigating an increasingly political World Cup 2018
FIFA has gone to great lengths talking about the separation of football and politics, but…
Belgium’s Exemplary Success Through Ethnic Integration
For long, Belgium had struggled to integrate the ethnic groups that form their demographic. Their…
Hidetoshi Nakata – The real-life Captain Tsubasa
Peroxide-bleached hair, a passion for sake and a career that showed light to the entire…
Iceland’s Long Trek to the World Cup – A Tale of the Nordic Nerve
Even with Iceland’s elimination from their maiden World Cup, their tale of fearless Viking vigour…
Croatia’s ‘Golden Generation’ and their chance of redemption at Russia 2018
It has taken twenty long years, and many tournaments, but Croatia finally have a team…
How Denmark’s 1986 World Cup Shirt Became the World’s Best
1986 was a prolific year for pop-culture: The Oprah Winfrey show aired on national tv,…
Alan Dzagoev’s Glass Ceiling – Rise and Fall of Russia’s Original Wonderkid
Four years ago, there were very few Football Manager saved games without Alan Dzagoev in…
Wembley ’73: When a Socialist Poland Clowned Sir Alf Ramsey’s England
1973 was a good time to be an Englishman in London, until Poland and Jan…
March of the Lions of Teranga: Senegal’s David and Goliath Story
Senegal are back after a sixteen-year-long wait and with them have brought a hope of…
Here Comes the Cavalry – Mexico and the Breaking of Psychological Barriers
In a time when Trump’s politics has reduced Mexican citizens to an inhumane narrative focused…
The Curious Case of Xherdan Shaqiri – A Career in Reverse
If you read Xherdan Shaqiri’s career, it’s upside down. It’s easy to imagine stepping from…
Nigerian football: A Love of the Game in the Face of Corruption
Nigeria have failed to impress in Russia, but we should hardly be worried about their…
Serbia’s Coming of Age: Giant-killing in Port Elizabeth
Serbia played its first ever World Cup as an independent nation in 2010 in South…
Costa Rica’s Long Way to the Top – Legacy of the 2014 World Cup
Costa Rica’s 2014 World Cup campaign was a result of years of work and determination,…
The Class of 1970: Peru and Teofilo Cubillas Against the Ancash Earthquake
An undersea earthquake off the coast of Peru kills 70,000 people and leaves nearly a…
Of Dazed Dreams: Account of France’s Youthful Confusion
With a potentially world-beating juvenile squad that holds the cards to trump the best, France…
A New Order – Why England Shouldn’t Expect to Win the World Cup
England expects? Evidence shows that it is in fact best to expect the worst from…
Football, the Product of Culture – A Californian’s Observations About Russia
Issues of corruption, violence, and racism hang like ominous storm clouds in the lead up…
Football Beyond the Veil – Saudi Arabian Women’s Silent Revolution
Our editor Anushree Nande talks to Sarah Algashgari, a female football fan in Saudi Arabia.…
Hope, expectation and the weight of legacy: Brazil at the World Cup
The weight of legacy can either propel you or crush you down. The people of…
Zlatan and the law of Jante: Sweden’s dilemma or triumph?
No Zlatan, no party? The opposite seems to be true for Sweden, as the structured…
‘The Only Thing That Unites Us’ – Origin Story of Colombian Football: Part 1
The formative years of Colombian football have seen the national sport leap through some of…
La Garra Charua: Uruguay, tenacity, and team-work
The tenacity of the Charrúa, Uruguay’s indigenous people, epitomises the nation’s constant struggle and is a key…
When football reached its pinnacle: The story of Brazil at Mexico ’70
At Mexico 1970, Brazil, as indeed world football, reached its peak. It was the first…
Iran at Russia 2018: A dream 20 years in the making
It is tough to profile Iran without thinking about the summer of ’98, when they…
Diaries from the streets of Bogota: Tickets, Taxis and Millonarios
Santokie Nagulendran roams through the streets of Bogota, talking race, lineage and rivalries before entering…
Medellin Adventures – The shadow of Pablo Escobar over Colombian football
Atlético Nacional, once financially backed by drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, is the biggest club in…
Iniesta, David Silva, Isco and The Biggest Show on the Planet
Joel Slagle has always been a skeptic when it comes to Spanish football, but even…
The political power of Diego Maradona through five World Cups – Part 2
Diego Maradona landed from a helicopter for his unveiling at Napoli. Playing the messiah came…
The political power of Diego Maradona through five World Cups – Part 1
Diego Maradona is probably the biggest enigma football has known in its history. He was…
Portugal in Russia 2018: Small beams of hope on a cloudy horizon
Portugal enter this year’s World Cup as defending European champions, but a few things about…
Neymar and the magical influence of an enigmatic amulet
Brazil are gunning up for the World Cup in Russia. In Neymar, they have the…
Atomic Ant – Sebastian Giovinco, the hero Italy needs
Sebastian Giovinco has been lighting up the MLS but ignored by the Italian National team…
Daughters of Anarchy: Female Iran football fans’ fight against Ayatollah
The year was 2017, but at the Azadi stadium in Iran, Syrian women were allowed…
The Day Total Football Died: With David Winner, author of Brilliant Orange
You’ve heard the legends about Total Football. But did you know what killed it? We…
Canals, Cartels & Phantoms: Panama Football Team’s Trip to the World Cup
How did the Panama Football Team, inundated with the phantom hand of drug cartels &…
Wogs, Poofters & St. Johnny Warren: The Patron Saint of Australian Soccer
FP studies the virtuous life of Johnny Warren: the godfather of Australian soccer, sporting equality…
Mohamed Salah and The Political Power of the Apolitical Entertainer
Tom Goodyer explores why Mohamed Salah is the most powerful man in Egypt. And how…
How Brazil Sold Its Soul – Nike, Luis Ronaldo and a Deal With The Devil
Explore the extraordinary story of Luis Ronaldo as Football Paradise blows wide open the depths…
Masturbation and Muscular Christianity: A Brief History of English Football’s Anxiety – Part 1
History of English Football – How England was bereft from having a sensual relationship with…
FP Exclusive: Jonathan Wilson On the Falklands War and How Football Redeemed a Broken Argentina
An exclusive with Jonathan Wilson on all things Argentina, football, and how the beautiful game…
A Leader Among Men: Philipp Lahm – Der Führungsspieler
A tribute to one of the greatest German footballer of all time, and a leader…
Hope, tragedy and blood: Colombia at World Cup 1994
The story of Colombia’s colourful and tumultous footballing journey as a nation, with the 1994…
The Cachaça Supernova – In Defense of Football’s Prophet of Absurdism, Mané Garrincha
Brazil’s Garrincha may have died drunk, broke and alone, but when he lived, he was…