BREAKING: Professional footballers from around the world have told FIFA that it is not doing enough to protect players and fans. In a new open letter, players demand that FIFA strengthens its heat protection measures and drop its fossil fuel sponsor. www.bbc.com/sport/articl...

Today marks 50 years since the UK ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. These rights shape our everyday lives. But 50 years later, these rights still are not fully protected in UK law. Illustrations by: Edith Ault

The 25/26 season NUFC Food Bank report - £73,824.01 raised then doubled to £147,648.02 by Jamie Reuben “When you stand with one of our buckets you find out that when we ask for help this city always provides. That when Newcastle is attacked, it always UNITES” Generous Geordies - Thank you #NUFC

And there’s a club with 115 charges still waiting patiently for justice

❤️🇬🇧

Immigration make Britain brilliant

This should be bigger news, if you ask me: The Chair of LA's 2026 World Cup host committee openly states that Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be at the tournament & that she couldn't guarantee there would be no immigration enforcement. laist.com/news/los-ang...

I joined other UN Special Procedure mandate holders today in calling for the immediate release of Gaza-bound Flotilla activists by Israel. www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...

Argentina fans have provided dramatic backdrops to many FIFA World Cups. Now they find that passion comes at a cost as they are hit harder than most by FIFA’s dynamic ticket prices. “They are making business from our passion.” Our story from Buenos Aires www.nytimes.com/2026/05/06/w...

“Successful for us means that games succeed for everyone, not just for Airbnb, the FIFA president and Donald Trump. Right now, that’s where it’s headed. Somebody needs to stand up and say, ‘No, that’s not how the World Cup should be done’.”

FIFA Congress: - Iran FA visas revoked; Infantino says they will play at World Cup - Afghan women’s team in exile to be officially recognised - Palestinian FA take their complaint to CAS, rebuffed photo opp - Infantino announces he will run again, despite term limits Football, bloody hell.

This was excruciating. After the Palestinian FA gave a powerful plea for justice and lamented FIFA’s inaction and lack of respect for its own rules, Gianni Infantino went for the cheap photo opp. It was rebuffed.

Gianni Infantino calls the representatives of Palestine, Jibril Rajoub, and Israel, Basim Sheikh Suliman, on stage at FIFA Congress (presumably for a photo op to see if he can win his own peace prize), but Rajoub sees it for what it is and refuses to engage in such a charade.

Palestinian FA president Jibril Rajoub announces they will take their complaint against Israel to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. He cites @amnesty.org & @hrw.org that international law is clear on status of West Bank, and can’t be ignored when politically inconvenient. Powerful and moving.

FIFA Congress roll call. “Islamic Republic of Iran, absent…” Visas for Iranian officials attending congress were revoked today. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/....

Saudi has officially pulled its funding from LIV Golf, the rival golf league that attempted a takeover of the PGA Tour. If you haven't yet, read my Sports Politika piece on the undeniable signs that the Saudi sports bubble is bursting www.sportspolitika.news/p/saudi-spor...

“Today, the Taliban’s power no longer extends to the world of international football." "To hopefully be able to wear our flag again officially is a feeling I cannot describe.” "Afghan women are here to stay" Afghanistan has a women's team once more. sportandrightsalliance.org/fifa-new-rul...

A piece of genuinely good news from FIFA. Afghan women will be represented again - by players in exile - in global football. This came from a campaign led by Afghan players, proudly supported by @sportrightsall.bsky.social @amnesty.org @hrw.org and others. inside.fifa.com/organisation...

New: Haiti at first WC for 52yrs, but 350k US-based Haitians face uncertain future. Pres Trump ended temporary protected status & wants to send them back to a troubled nation US doesn't deem safe Free read on key forthcoming court date for @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/722...

Infantino positioning himself between Mark Carney and the Pope 😂

FairSquare's statement on the Norwegian Football Federation's statement yesterday in support of our filing of our complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Infantino has repeatedly broken FIFA rules on political neutrality. fairsq.org/norwegian-fa...

Chelsea and Man City in the FA Cup final. No other English clubs have systematically ignored, bent or broken the rules like both have done. In terms of trophies won, no other English clubs have been as successful over the past decade and a half either. The moral of the story - is that there is none.

I regret missing this at the time; but bravo and thank you to Racing Club de Lens for demonstrating their solidarity with jailed French journalist Chrisotphe Gleizes in such public fashion. Another reason to love les sang-et-or.

On Prestianni ban… UEFA Article 14 says any form of discrimination, including homophobia, should be at least a 10-game ban. “UEFA declined to comment when asked by The Athletic why Prestianni’s ban was not for 10 matches or more.” Benfica sources say club does not intend to appeal (also Athletic)

Mondial 2026: des associations américaines mettent en garde les voyageurs contre des abus aux États-Uni

Love this. There will be some cretins muttering under their breath, but groundbreaking players should be celebrated by all. I’ve seen 9 of these 11 in action at SJP, starting with Mirandinha, which is an indictment of both my age and how long it took for black players to be accepted.

FIFA execs have ‘discussed the possibility’ of Infantino asking Trump for moratorium on World Cup ICE raids. Unbelievably weak - 2 months out and the best FIFA have done is think about asking??

"Be more Francesca Albanese!!!" Taking note of this admirable role model of vision, determination and sacrifice. In The Guardian today: www.theguardian.com/law/2026/apr...

World Cup tourists & fans beware: 3 World Cup host cities—Miami, Dallas, & Houston—already have 287(g) agreements with the Trump admin, empowering local police to conduct immigration enforcement activities (& to get reimbursed for the salaries & benefits of participating officers).

The data visualisation team at The Guardian has excelled itself today. Taking the newspaper onwards and upwards into the 1980s.

The 13 FIFA World Cup matches on Canadian soil are expected to cost at least CDN$1 billion in taxpayer money, according to a Radio-Canada investigation Toronto original planned hosting costs: $30-45 mil; now estimated @ $380 mil+ Vancouver: $240 mil➡️$624 mil+ 🍁💸 www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Trump admin appears to be holding hostage the 2031 women's World Cup bid, refusing to offer guarantees (for visas, tax exemptions, safety, security) unless FIFA bans transgender women from soccer. FIFA is so disgusting it'll probably comply By @adamcrafton.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/717...

As everyone focuses on Trump and the U.S., Israel just continues committing war crimes with impunity.

When SNL UK started a few weeks back, I posted on here that there was no way it could work because SNL as a format is fundamentally flawed. Anyway, this sketch from the most recent show popped up on my YouTube feed, I decided to watch it and, fair play, it’s utterly superb. youtu.be/OuSzG_DzVNo?...

None of this should be normalised and yet there is a sense that it has just been allowed to happen and will keep happening. Only body that has any real oversight of FIFA are the FAs, how many of them have ever spoken out? They are doing nothing for their publics to safeguard access to World Cup.

Several thousand dollars for a World Cup game from a host that made explicit promises to FIFA of the most expensive ticket being not much more than $1000, and that was at the final. None of the $20 tickets materialised. FIFA now in cahoots with profiteers. What is the point of it?

‘If you don’t count mass, preventable deaths of people in fires, you can argue there is little need to ensure people are safe from fires’

Important report from @amnesty.org "Humanity Must Win: Defending Rights, Tackling Repression at the 2026 FIFA World Cup." Follow Amnesty International's @stevecockburn.bsky.social for ongoing human-rights analysis vis-a-vis the World Cup. www.amnesty.org/en/documents...

Amnesty International say US facing a "human rights emergency" ahead of World Cup, with ICE posing "chilling threat" to fans and even players, with new report also focusing on suppression of demonstrations in Canada and Mexico www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

"The USA under President Trump ... is facing a human rights emergency marked by discriminatory immigration policies, mass detentions and arbitrary arrests by masked, armed agents" Somebody needs to remind @amnesty.org that Football Unites the World. www.amnesty.org/en/latest/ne...

"This World Cup is no longer the ‘medium risk’ tournament that FIFA once judged it to be… urgent action is needed to make sure the reality of this World Cup matches its original promise.” - @stevecockburn.bsky.social / @amnesty.org Read more⤵️

Over 500,000 people were deported from the USA in 2025 – six times more than will watch the World Cup final at the MetLife stadium in July. Our new report today outlines the real risks to fans and communities that FIFA and host governments must urgently address. 👇 www.amnesty.org/en/latest/ne...

🧵Toronto’s Mayor Olivia Chow put forward a motion to the City Council to block involvement from ICE during the #FIFAWorldCup www.insidethegames.biz/articles/ice...

Excellent stuff. The Huel offer always seems to be 'Take away the joy of lunch by pouring nutritious tar into your stomach, so you can get back to work quicker'. Future products may involve compressing sleep, speeding up your moments looking at nature, and automating reading on the loo.

Just been approached by Huel to see if I'll be part of their paid influencer campaign. I don't think they're quite across what I do for a living. (FWIW, and in the interests of having influence, I regard Huel as a soul destroying, miserable product and the death of all that is worth living for.)

It is a shameful day for the Olympic movement - the IOC is going to become the 'gender police' with mandatory sex testing and blanket bans on transgender and DSD athletes. Politically driven, one-size-fits-all rules that ignore rights and fuels wider social discrimination.

🧵“The Saudi Arabian government is actively seeking to have this ILO Complaint buried. However, despite some recent legal reforms, #SaudiArabia’s kafala sponsorship system has not been effectively dismantled", @stevecockburn.bsky.social Statement ILO's 356th Session www.amnesty.org/en/documents...

FIFA criticised by former ICJ judge after claiming Israel FA can’t be sanctioned due to the West Bank’s “unresolved legal status”. “FIFA have to be held accountable for deliberately contradicting an ICJ ruling on the Palestinian occupied territories.” www.nytimes.com/athletic/713...

“By refusing to take action against clubs based in Israeli settlements, FIFA has failed to enforce its own rules and is blatantly flouting international law.” @stevecockburn.bsky.social www.amnesty.org/en/latest/ne...

FIFA’s decision not to act over clubs in illegal Israeli settlements was a clear and shameful flouting of international law. The legal advice that FIFA commissioned should be published - last year we wrote to the firm providing it, but they declined to respond. www.amnesty.org/en/latest/ne...