Why do Argentineans blame Messi when they lose
Argentina crashed out of the 2018 World Cup. It's not Messi's fault.
Football Is a Country
How I met your mother
The author relives his greatest World Cup moment.
Uruguay is playing for you
When you say Uruguay, African football fans automatically say "2010" and "Luis Suarez." Well, there's more to the team and the country's history
A World Cup for the people
The Africans, already underrepresented, withered away during the Group stage. Even VAR, invented to clean up the game, could not save them.
The Football Griot
For a long time most football fans experienced the game via the radio, making broadcasters cult figures. Like Allou Ndiaye in 1950s Senegal.
Ghetto defendants
Race, class and the French National Team.
That one time Zambia nearly qualified for the World Cup
In 1994, Zambia was on the cusp of qualifying for the World Cup. After a tragedy wiped out the national team it lost to bad refereeing.
Living for the ball
Ndeye Debo Seck has lost interest in local club football in Senegal. It has a lot to do with how the local game is administered.
‘Any way possible’
A Kenyan football fan reflects on a lifetime of World Cup finals.
When Cameroon’s players convinced themselves they could not win
The reason why African teams struggle in the World Cup has everything to do with colonialism.
Why hasn’t an African nation won the World Cup?
Until African officials stop lining their pockets and instead identify and develop the best young talent the continent has, an African nation winning the World Cup will remain elusive.
Senegal’s jersey
The Senegalese football jersey is a powerful symbol of nationhood and independence.
Senegalese pitch dreams
Football in Senegal is magic. That the team has qualified for their second World Cup, heightens the joy.
France ’98 and a genuine moment of Maghrebi solidarity
Tunisia played England in France '98. English hooligans attacked Tunisians in the streets of Marseille. Algerians came to Tunisians' rescue.
Ghana didn’t qualify for the World Cup, so which African team do I support?
One Ghanaian football fan wrestles with which teams to support in this year's World Cup after the Black Stars failed to qualify.
Giant Russian dolls wearing Egyptian national team jerseys
A Canadian immigrant father's Egyptian football nationalism, and reflections on World Cup fever from Cairo.
Game of chickens
Reliving the epic quarterfinal match between France and Brazil at Mexico '86.
The beautiful month
We are exploring the culture and history of the World Cup for the next month while the tournament goes on.
Sergio Ramos and the Egyptians
Sergio Ramos' injury to Mohamed Salah in the 2018 UEFA Champion's League final set him up for a world of insults from Egyptian football fans.
AC Milan’s Moroccan problem
Former AC Milan star George Weah’s inauguration as President of Liberia represents a positive association for