Dave Braneck is a journalist in Berlin covering sports and politics.
Unwarranted ad breaks, entry bans on some foreign nationals, and political tampering with the game all made this a Trumpian World Cup. But if Donald Trump put his stamp on the world’s game, it’s also set a precedent for future FIFA-organized tournaments.
Other recent World Cup hosts used sports to prettify their image. But Donald Trump isn’t so much “sportswashing” as using the World Cup to show off the United States’ ability to discriminate against other teams and their fans.
The Enhanced Games allow athletes to dope in order to beat records in sprinting and swimming. It’s a perfect metaphor for the self-improvement industry: hurting your body and soul in order to chase a hollow idea of success.
FIFA’s newly announced peace prize for Donald Trump is a craven act of stroking his ego. The 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be among the worst cases yet of sports bending to politics.
Berlin’s city government has moved to deport four pro-Palestine protesters. Even as centrist parties warn against the far-right threat, they introduce the powers beloved by authoritarian leaders.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s remodeling of the Club World Cup marks a new low in placing financial demands over basic sporting integrity. Football has long been ruled by money — but under Infantino’s lead, FIFA just makes up the rules as it goes along.
Germany’s leaders have given unconditional support for Israel’s war in Gaza — but also demanded that immigrants do the same. The rhetoric of German atonement for the past is being used to silence left-wing Jews and blame antisemitism on immigrants.
The transfer of stars like Karim Benzema to the Saudi Pro League has fed calls to stop its poaching of big-name players. But Saudi control is the natural outcome of the sport’s transformation into a plaything for billionaires.
The crypto takeover of European football promises to empower supporters — but in truth, it’s just marketing fluff for a giant pyramid scheme.
Some of the world’s biggest football clubs are using their supporters’ loyalty to sell them blockchain assets, “fan tokens,” and NFTs. The crypto takeover of football promises to empower supporters — but in truth, it’s just marketing fluff for a web of pyramid schemes.
Pre-Christmas shortages have exposed the fallibility of global supply chains’ promise to deliver all manner of goods almost instantly. Yet logistics firms’ profits are at historic highs — showing how they’ve used the crisis to entrench their power.
Chiefs at soccer governing body FIFA are calling for the World Cup to be held every two years instead of every four. The plan is a naked cash grab — and shows that undemocratic sports authorities will always put chances to sell advertising above the quality of the game.
The European Super League fiasco has sparked a heated debate about money in football, with many pointing to Germany’s fan-owned clubs as an alternative. Fan ownership is an important step — but it’ll only work if fans are organized and thinking politically.