MUST READ! “The #2026WorldCup has produced beautiful football and unforgettable images. But it has also shown how easily the beautiful game can become a beautiful disguise. Fifa should not be allowed to write the legacy alone.” Written by the excellent @staniselsborg.bsky.social

The final crowns a winner. Yet the World Cup’s real legacy lies off the pitch: at borders, on policed streets, in Fifa’s opaque governance, betting markets, authoritarian states, and among those its spectacle pushed aside. Op-ed for @josimarfootball.bsky.social josimarfootball.com/2026/07/17/t...

A hard-hitting op-ed by the US Soccer Vice President, taking aim at FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump. www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Ny! New! The final will crown a champion, but the 2026 World Cup's true legacy lies far from the pitch. By @staniselsborg.bsky.social josimarfootball.com/2026/07/17/t...

New for @josimarfootball.bsky.social: an op-ed by @staniselsborg.bsky.social, Head of @playthegame-org.bsky.social - the World Cup legacy Fifa does not want to talk about.

The World Cup Legacy Fifa Does Not Want to Talk About In his latest op-ed for @josimarfootball.bsky.social, Play the Game’s @staniselsborg.bsky.social reflects on the broader legacy of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and why independent scrutiny remains essential. josimarfootball.com/2026/07/17/t...

Finalen vil gi oss en vinner. Men de virkelige VM-fortellingene i 2026 skrives langt unna banen. Kronikk av @staniselsborg.bsky.social josimar.no/artikler/vm-...

The 2026 World Cup has produced beautiful football and unforgettable images. But it has also shown how easily the beautiful game can become a disguise. FIFA should not be allowed to write the legacy on its own. My perspective. For @josimarfootball.bsky.social 👇 josimarfootball.com/2026/07/17/t...

“Countries are going to war because of criminal groups who are somehow still permitted to use the proceeds of crime to sponsor sports teams” That line from Lindsey Kennedy stayed with me. A disturbing new episode on betting, slavery, crime, and football👉 play-the-game-podcast.captivate.fm

Very interesting and detailed breakdown of the “Political Interference and the Trump–Balogun Red Card Intervention”👇 Here’s another perspective to add to the The Chairperson of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, Mohammad Al-Kamali and his many roles 👉 bsky.app/profile/stan...

Imprescindible artículo de @staniselsborg.bsky.social, que narra desde los tejemanejes y caída de Blatter, a la llegada del falso reformista Infantino, finalmente un corrupto de mayor calado y más desvergonzado que su predecesor.

Go follow this list of great people if you care about football! Great work by @philippeauclair.bsky.social! go.bsky.app/6oxTr7j

Fascinating article showcasing how FIFA boss Gianni Infantino transitioned from being seen as a reformist to the complete opposite... www.playthegame.org/news/infanti...

New! Ny! Every World Cup is meant to have a legacy, this one could be the moment when the process of reclaiming and reforming the governance of football begins. By @davidgoldblatt.bsky.social josimarfootball.com/2026/07/14/d...

1/🧵 FIFA says its judicial bodies are independent. Yet the decision to waive Folarin Balogun’s World Cup suspension was reportedly taken by one man alone. So who is Mohammad Al Kamali -and how independent has his own institutional background been? www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

On 16 July, a new episode is out: Scams, slavery and surface-to-air missiles: Online sports betting in Southeast Asia Subscribe to the Play the Game Podcast in your podcast app of choice 👉 play-the-game-podcast.captivate.fm

He is probably the biggest draw in the sports world right now, millions would love to watch Messi’s last games at the World Cup. So why are so many seats empty at some of the biggest games? www.nytimes.com/2026/07/12/w...

👉 www.inc.com/georgia-fear... Luxury Yachts, Private Jets, and $300 Million: The Massive U.S. Fraud Probe Clouding Argentina’s World Cup Run

This World Cup has shown why journalism in sport matters! A few weeks ago, we launched the Play the Game Journalism Fund to support original and investigative journalism on integrity issues in sport. Help us fund journalism that holds sport to account👉 www.playthegame.org/journalism-f...

In light of Trump's corrupt red card interference at the World Cup, highly recommend this Play the Game podcast about Infantino's FIFA, which covers lots of things, including his ties to Russia and Qatar and the various corruption accusations.

The International Cricket Council distributes tens of millions of dollars per year in development funding through a system insiders say is loosely monitored and easily manipulated. Peter O’Brien reports for Play the Game. 👉 www.playthegame.org/news/greed-a... @pobjourno.bsky.social

Perspectives from Play the Game on the Folarin Balogun case👇 👉 www.vg.no/sport/i/L4k1... 👉 www.linkedin.com/posts/stanis... 👉 sport.tv2.dk/fodbold/2026... 👉 jyllands-posten.dk/sport/fodbol... 👉 ekstrabladet.dk/sport/fodbol... 👉 www.dr.dk/lyd/p1/p1-or... 👉 campo.dk/2026/07/06/r...

If reports are correct that the U.S. president, and/or people close to him, contacted FIFA’s leadership about a disciplinary case, it creates a serious integrity problem. Once again, journalist prove why they matter - the world should be applauding them. www.linkedin.com/posts/stanis...

Ethics…

Good to see @josimarfootball.bsky.social's work on Fifa's prediction markets partner ADI Predictstreet continuing to spread. Here's @philippeauclair.bsky.social being interviewed on @news.dw.com. www.instagram.com/reel/DaZdBOF...

🎙️ Want to hear the recording of Andrew Jennings challenging FIFA’s communications director Walter de Gregorio in public? In our episode on Infantino’s FIFA, we play the archive audio from Play the Game 2011 - a tense exchange about FIFA and accountability. 🎧👉 play-the-game-podcast.captivate.fm

In a two-part investigation for Play the Game, journalist George Timms examines cycling's deep entanglement with the fossil fuel industry🔎 Part 1👉 www.playthegame.org/news/the-pet... Part 2👉 www.playthegame.org/news/the-pet...

🎙️ New Play the Game Podcast episode! Ten years after Gianni Infantino promised a “new FIFA”, what kind of FIFA has he actually built? @staniselsborg.bsky.social looks back at Infantino's FIFA - a story about power, politics, and so-called ethics. 🎧 Listen here👉 play-the-game-podcast.captivate.fm

🎙️ New episode! Ten years after Gianni Infantino promised a “new FIFA”, what kind of FIFA has he actually built? I look back at Infantino's FIFA - a story about power, politics, and so-called ethics. 🎧 Listen here👉 play-the-game-podcast.captivate.fm

New developments: Just received the news that Abdullah Ibhais has received his passport. Hear his story in our opening episode of the Play the Game Podcast. Qatar 2022 whistleblower: Abdullah Ibhais on prison, pressure, and media control 👉 play-the-game-podcast.captivate.fm

FIFA President Infantino claims the 2026 World Cup will inject 80 billion U.S. dollars into the global economy! @fettitude.bsky.social argues the numbers do not add up – and for the USA, hosting could even end in a net loss. 👉 www.playthegame.org/news/the-80-...

NYT is reporting that Predictstreet—the Official Prediction Market Partner of the FIFA World Cup 2026™—is teaming up w/ Kalshi, making it "an official partner of FIFA." Keen to know what @philippeauclair.bsky.social + @josimarfootball.bsky.social have to say about it! www.nytimes.com/2026/06/26/b...

🎙️ New Play the Game Podcast episode! Investigative journalist @karimzidan.com joins @staniselsborg.bsky.social to discuss how sport became part of Donald Trump’s political machine - from boxing, WWE, golf and UFC to FIFA, Infantino and the 2026 World Cup. 👉 play-the-game-podcast.captivate.fm

🎙️I had the pleasure of speaking with investigative journalist @karimzidan.com about Donald Trump, sport, and power. Karim has spent years covering the uncomfortable edges of sport – where politics, human rights, combat sports, money, and influence meet. 👉 play-the-game-podcast.captivate.fm

It’s Saturday. The sun is out, and later there is more football to enjoy. But before kick-off, here are a few reading and podcast recommendations for anyone who wants to spend some time with the darker sides of sport. Links below👇Feel free to add stuff! www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

Thank you for your suggestions! The group has grown quite spectacularly thanks to them since this afternoon. Do check this pack again!

Excited to share that we are launching a new podcast on integrity and the darker sides of international sport🎧 Corruption, human rights, geopolitics, gambling, and abuse in sport are among the issues in a new podcast from @playthegame-org.bsky.social www.playthegame.org/news/play-th...

Excellent group of people! Follow if you care about football!

A disturbing journalistic investigation by @deutschewelle.dw.com sheds new light on the disappearance of Belarusian sports activist, Anatol Kotau. It raises questions about why the IOC has lifted restrictions on Belarus. By @jenssejer.bsky.social www.playthegame.org/news/news-ab...

I thought it'd be a swell idea to create a starter pack of journalists who specialise in throwing light on the dark(er) side of football. It's small for two reasons: there aren't many of us; and I've probably forgotten plenty of excellent people. Thank you for suggesting additions in replies.

📢A new phase for Play the Game – and we need your support! First, we launched the Play the Game Podcast. Now, we are launching the Play the Game Journalism Fund. Through the fund, you can directly support journalism that holds sport to account. 👉 www.playthegame.org/news/play-th...

📢A new phase for Play the Game – and we need your support! First, we launched the Play the Game Podcast. Now, we are launching the Play the Game Journalism Fund. Through the fund, you can directly support journalism that holds sport to account. 👉 www.playthegame.org/news/play-th...

You might need to fire a VPN up for this one, and (at the time of sharing) there's not an English subtitle file loaded but auto-generated Danish --> auto-translated to English seems (to my untrained - I'm better på Svenska - ear) to be fine.

[email protected] and I have visited DR - and a chair in a dark room. The result is a story about FIFA and Infantino. Thanks to Annika Wetterling for a great conversation and for the hard work. The video is in Danish, but the English subtitles work well👇 www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWVt...

🎙️ New Play the Game Podcast episode! Monika Streule takes us to Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara, where World Cup projects collide with struggles over water, land, housing, and the environment. 👉 play-the-game-podcast.captivate.fm

🎙️“FIFA and Qatar tried to break me" That line from Qatar 2022 whistleblower Abdullah Ibhais has stayed with me! In the opening episode of our new podcast, we talk about prison, pressure, media control, migrant workers, Qatar, and FIFA. Have you listened yet? 👉 play-the-game-podcast.captivate.fm

🎙️“FIFA and Qatar tried to break me" That line from Qatar 2022 whistleblower Abdullah Ibhais has stayed with me! In the opening episode of our new podcast, we talk about prison, pressure, media control, migrant workers, Qatar, and FIFA. Have you listened yet? 👉 play-the-game-podcast.captivate.fm

🎙️ There's a new podcast, Play the Game — @playthegame-org.bsky.social — about "the people, powers, and politics shaping sport." The latest episode is with guest @julesboykoff.bsky.social on sportswashing x the FIFA 2026 World Cup. Check it out!

🎙️ First week of the Play the Game Podcast! Three episodes are now out – and I am very grateful for the kind feedback and warm reception the podcast has received so far. Listen👉 play-the-game-podcast.captivate.fm @stevemenary.bsky.social @julesboykoff.bsky.social @playthegame-org.bsky.social