“For visitors who have plunked down thousands on travel, not to mention the most expensive tickets in World Cup history, food is one cost they can control.” My story on visiting fans turning to American fast-food to save money: wapo.st/3QihXx8

Spoke to more than a dozen Senegal fans before the France match today — all immigrants living in the US or children of immigrants. Nearly everyone said they had family in Senegal who wanted to come but couldn’t due to the US tourist visa ban.

If you’re curious about Cape Verde after that historic showing in its World Cup debut, I spoke with the team’s players and the country’s people about football culture on the archipelago: www.cntraveler.com/story/to-und...

Ecuador fans far outnumber Côte d’Ivoire fans here in Philly, at least in part because of the US tourist visa ban. That means fewer chances for these fun moments of playful cross-cultural trash talk

Fans from Ecuador enjoying the local cuisine

Our developing dispatch from the happiest city in the world: wapo.st/44cuNQw

Soon as the Brazil-Morocco match in NJ ended, a rush to the exits, a bunch of folks running to catch the Knicks

Dueling chants en route to the Brazil-Morocco match in NJ

“Maybe I was doomed to cycle through well-trodden paths crammed with fellow seekers, wandering in futile search of even the smallest whiff of discovery, desperate for surprise but seeing only what others have shown me.” A Japan travelog: open.substack.com/pub/samaha/p...

On-the-ground reporting on how Knicks fans have experienced this magical run:  Brooklyn’s hottest Knicks bar: wapo.st/4dCcp9r Wemby as NYC’s latest villain: wapo.st/4vsfxuB Trump getting booed: wapo.st/4vbGwLk Parties out in the streets: wapo.st/3S4XA74

“we’re just a happy city with some happy people” — scenes from last night’s celebration: wapo.st/4xn6ixu

My dispatch from the post-game mayhem: wapo.st/4xn6ixu

greatest city in the world

prophetic

Knicks fans greeting their new favorite villain Wemby

Some folks showed up as early as 2pm to get a good spot at the MSG watch party, only to learn around 3:30pm that it has been cancelled.

Spurs might have won the game but getting absolutely mauled by these NYC teens outside their bus

They showed Trump during the anthem. He got louder boos than the Spurs.

The fences really change the vibe: yesterday vs today

Scenes from MSG 4+ hours before the game

Rapper-slash-reporter Fat Joe grilling Mike Brown on his sneakers:

With #2026WorldCup kickoff in less than 10 days, check out the latest @migrationpolicy.bsky.social podcast episode where sport journalist @samaha.bsky.social & I discuss US visa restrictions + potential immigration enforcement effects on players, fans & host cities www.podbean.com/ew/pb-fy9zb-...

“Can Knicks fans find it in their hearts to hate Victor Wembanyama?” Wrote about the grand tradition of New York basketball villains: wapo.st/4vsfxuB

Italy has failed to qualify for 3 straight World Cups — the 1st former champ to do that. How did its storied football program fall so far behind the rest of Europe’s? Some cite the country’s immigration policies. My story for @newyorker.com: www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...

“All across Italy, a furious debate unfurled in the search for answers to the agonizing mystery: How did Italy’s storied football program fall so far behind the rest of Europe’s?” My story for @newyorker.com: www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...

Going into the 2026 World Cup qualifying process, no former champion had ever failed to qualify three straight times. Italy is now the first, and some have theorized that the country’s immigration policies could be to blame. www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...

Wrote about beach soccer in Cape Verde, which will be playing in the World Cup for the first time this year: www.cntraveler.com/story/to-und...

Wrote about NYC’s hottest sports bar, FancyFree, where last Tuesday Arsenal & Knicks fans (including Spike Lee) converged for an iconic double-header, with a championship celebration in the afternoon followed by an historic comeback that night: wapo.st/4wPDgGz

This is such a beautiful story of two fandoms intertwined at a Brooklyn Bar told over the span of a day of shared ecstasy. By my guy @samaha.bsky.social. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2026/...

Haiti will play in the World Cup for the 1st time in 52 years. But Haiti happened to qualify when it takes place in a country that has banned Haitians from visiting. My story in @newyorker.com on how players around the world are navigating Trump’s policies: www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...

New On the Bleachers! @zanopticon.bsky.social & I on: - The Super Bowl champ Seahawks for sale - MLBPA drama - Lindsey Vonn 😭 - Quad God brutally skatemogged - Alysa Liu wins her way - @samaha.bsky.social on college hoops betting scandal, FBI investigates Jim Irsay’s death, & rip WaPo sports

I’ll miss working with all the brilliant folks at @postsports.bsky.social: we published bangers, reached millions of readers, made a real impact. Jeff Bezos killed the world’s best sports section. Here are some stories I’m proud of:

Here’s our story on the gambler accused of orchestrating one of the biggest matchfixing schemes in US history.  @postsports.bsky.social has long delivered some of the best sports reporting out there. I’m grateful to contribute to that legacy. #SaveThePost wapo.st/4tv5Co7

Just wanted to take a minute, for no particular reason whatsoever, and celebrate some of the brilliant work that my @postsports.bsky.social colleagues have done in recent weeks. These stories take time and resources. They're also what make The Post so great. All gift links/free to read...

Breaking: FBI is investigating Colts owner Jim Irsay’s death & the doctor who oversaw his addition recovery treatment. In August, we reported that people close to Irsay were concerned about how much opioids & ketamine Dr. Harry Haroutunian was prescribing. wapo.st/4bIXfyv

NFL players are lighting up their agents about the viral electromagnetic field theory for all the San Francisco 49ers injury woes. @samaha.bsky.social and I decided to investigate: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2026/...

Chris Dailey had one goal: Make it through the 12-hour bus ride from South Bend, Indiana, to his parents’ house in New Jersey without crying. Our @samaha.bsky.social on the million-dollar kick that one football fan will never forget:

A 19-year-old college football fan had a chance to kick a field goal to win $1 million on national television. Here’s a story about what happened next: wapo.st/49PHKT8

Here's @samaha.bsky.social with what's going on w/ gambling and college basketball today: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2026/...

“An injured NFL team, an electronic substation and a theory that won’t fade” @sam4tr.bsky.social & I dug into the science & the fears surrounding the 49ers now-infamous training facility: wapo.st/49r1FZq

"a point-shaving scheme involving more than 39 players on more than 17 different NCAA Division I men's basketball teams who then fixed and attempted to fix more than 29 NCAA Division I men's basketball games" Our story on a big new indictment: wapo.st/3NLmq9D

I profiled Azzi Fudd. After all the injuries and doubt, and dealing with that as her life became more and more public, here's a story of getting back to once was — mentally, physically — then becoming even better: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

New: How Kawhi’s "Uncle Dennis" helped spark the sports scandal of the year. ▶️ Steve Ballmer, Jerry West depositions ▶️ Private texts, Magic voicemails ▶️ An equity fight involving a Knicks star ▶️ Kawhi's private airport Investigation w/ @samaha.bsky.social: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Kawhi Leonard’s uncle Dennis Robertson has left a trail of conflict through the NBA.  @sam4tr.bsky.social & I spoke w dozens of ppl & got biz filings, property records, texts, voicemails & court docs, including a Steve Ballmer deposition. Our story in @postsports.bsky.social: wapo.st/4oNuTXM

Thank God I Was Bad At Sports Betting: open.substack.com/pub/samaha/p...

Betting on table tennis has boomed in recent years. That brought a wave of match-fixing scandals & suspicions as the sport tries to root out corruption. Our story on how that crackdown has impacted one player under investigation: wapo.st/440pHat

Was this table tennis match rigged? Gamblers in New Jersey bet against a favored player. Authorities opened an investigation. Our story dives into the complicated process of distinguishing corruption from coincidence, self-sabotage from honest mistakes: wapo.st/47RtnwA

These days gambling apps offer bets on more sports than ever, from table tennis to darts. But what happens when big-money bettors converge on small-money sports? Match fixers offering more cash than what players can earn in salary or prizes. Our @postsports.bsky.social story: wapo.st/43l7vIp

Statement from Post Guild Leadership: The Washington Post Guild condemns the unjust firing of columnist Karen Attiah

In his final months, Irsay got ketamine injections as often as 10-14x per day. Experts consider that a very high number. The actor Matthew Perry was at the time of his death receiving 6-8x per day. More context on Irsay’s doctor: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...