What do we think? Out in the first round?

You may not sympathise with the Elbit four’s methods. But you should be outraged by their treatment under the law | Geoffrey Robertson

Ever since we at @josimarfootball.bsky.social have been investigating the world of illegal sports betting, we've been coming across crazier and crazier stories. This one - the deepfake Bruno Fernandes - is in keeping with what's come before. Crazy - and deeply concerning in so many respects.

New op-ed for @josimarfootball.bsky.social, by Kornelija Tiesnesyte: how on earth is it still possible to bet on...yellow cards? But is, including at this World Cup.

Terribly sad to lose our friend Eric Roy to cancer. A fine pundit, excellent player in his day and a coach who achieved a modern-day miracle by taking Brest into the Champions League. Stayed on their bench all last season in spite of his illness, stoically keeping his story private. RIP mon ami.

Terrible news: the Court of Appeal has just ruled that the Government’s ban on Palestine Action is lawful. PA is now likely to lodge an appeal before the Supreme Court. So the mass arrests of peaceful people sitting with cardboard signs will continue. Because that is what terrorism looks like ...

Meanwhile, not one of the groups so far known to have been orchestrating the violence in Belfast and Southampton has been banned as a terrorist organisation.

“For the past year, FIFA, has leased an office on the 17th floor of New York’s Trump Tower that has sat all but empty. The rent goes to President Trump’s family business, but the space sits largely idle. Paying rent to the Trumps was the choice of Gianni Infantino.” www.nytimes.com/2026/06/09/w...

A reminder that Infantino said in 2017 that all qualified teams, their fans and officials, need to have access to a host country, otherwise it can't host. There are already numerous (predictable) US visa issues with the World Cup about to kick off and likely more to come.

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani contacts some of the fans who were successful in the ballot for $50 World Cup tickets to let them know in person that they're going to a match.

Nigel Farage is a demagogue who has little regard for facts or the truth. Journalists covering him have no such excuse app.prospectmagazine.co.uk/story/73749/...

The International Sports Press Association (AIPS) has written to FIFA claiming that “many” Iranian and African journalists have been denied the necessary visas to cover the World Cup in the United States. www.nytimes.com/athletic/733...

How Infantino and Trump fit into the history of the World Cup and FIFA, going right back to Jules Rimet and Mussolini. And why people should watch and love the tournament regardless. Me rolling out the history and politics just before setting off to my 10th World Cup @FT as.ft.com/r/f960df4e-e...

It's hard to convey just how monstrous the privatisation of children's care homes has become. Highly vulnerable children have been turned into cash machines, with devastating impacts on their wellbeing. Please sit down before reading this week's column. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Widow of gambling addict who took his life after falling £18,000 into debt is suing Betfair in a case that could have serious consequences for the gambling industry. Luke Ashton placed thousands of bets with the Flutter Entertainment subsidiary, which sent him “free” bets @byrobdavies.bsky.social

«Cet individu porte des valeurs contraires à la démocratie, aux droits de l’Homme et à la Paix» ➡️ https://l.liberation.fr/sv

New for @josimarfootball.bsky.social: Jose Mourinho loves endorsing brands, and has a special tooth for betting companies - though his managerial role should make it impossible for him to promote them. So can it be that Real's old/new señor has partnered with two different gaming brands?

Excited to announce The Soccernomics Podcast (@soccernomicspod), alongside @simonkuper.bsky.social and @amalhotra2. We'll be coming to you Tuesdays and Thursdays as we gear up towards, and through The World Cup. First episode out now. open.spotify.com/show/033eUgQ...

By popular demand, you can now re-live the fabulous soirée at the American Library in Paris, where @simonkuper.bsky.social talks about his excellent book World Cup Fever. The ideal preparation for the upcoming tournament: youtu.be/SrZNFjk_DOA?... via @YouTube

As well as all the crypto launches and his sons' government-reliant company, Trump is trading on his own presidency

New! Ny! Fifa and its 'relationship' with the press. A Josimar editorial. josimarfootball.com/2026/05/14/o...

Exactly ⬇️ "People want genuine representation... They want a system that reflects the complexity of their views, rather than forcing them into binary choices. First Past the Post remains fundamentally incapable of accommodating that shift." @makevotesmatter.bsky.social

@philippeauclair.bsky.social I don’t know how you find the time to run this place in Paris with all that excellent investigative journalism 😘

Come see the one and only @simonkuper.bsky.social (seen here looking anxious about being on stage with me, and rightly so) recount his World Cup stories. Sign up so as not to be disappointed (extraordinarily, it's free!).

No paywall for that piece until tomorrow noon GMT. Fifa getting in bed with a "prediction market" operator is bad enough in itself; but with one which actually...does not really exist yet?

This year's @fwaofficial.bsky.social Student Football Writer competition closes for entries this Friday at midnight. Still loads of time to claim the top prizes in three categories, each of £1000. Details below

Guler getting it all right. Neuer getting it all wrong. Bonkers match 🤩

🚨 Exclusive 🚨 Fifa's new prediction markets partner has no working product, is unlicensed everywhere except Gibraltar and its CEO paid a six-figure sum to Indian regulators last year to settle allegations of serious insider trading. josimarfootball.com/2026/04/06/i...

When World Cup tickets went on sale months ago, the pricing structure was described as outrageous, and was met with a furious response. It has only gotten more expensive since. @henrybushnell.bsky.social describes how dynamic pricing has driven huge increases in ticket costs ⤵️

Remarkable performance. Quite stunning at 19!

Watching MOTD highlights of NUFC-Everton, I see that Newcastle, who had ditched illegal betting partner FUN88 at beginning of season, have now teamed up with 8Xbet (also partner of Sunderland, Bournemouth, Villa, Forest...), an even worse operator, linked to cyber slavery compound in Cambodia.

Sorry not sorry

On the subject of World Cup boycotts, this is a story which ought to be much better known: why African countries decided not to compete for a place at the 1966 tournament. One of Fifa's most shameful moments, which hardly ever gets a mention. www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-a...

✍️ CNews garde l’abbé #Morandini : l’éclatante hypocrisie du groupe Bolloré Cela s’appelle un Tartuffe : chantre du redressement moral et du retour à l’autorité, le milliardaire réac’ conserve à l’antenne l’animateur condamné pour corruption de mineurs. Le billet de @thomas-legrand.bsky.social 👇

Vive la France!

The full list of World Cup qualifying nations swept up in the US visa ban - Iran, Uzbekistan, Jordan, Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Tunisia, Haiti, Brazil, Colombia & Uruguay. 15 out of 42. + Bosnia, Albania & Kosovo, who are still in the UEFA play-offs.

At least four videos show what really happened when ICE shot a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday. DHS has established itself as an agency that cannot be trusted to live in or present reality. www.404media.co/dhs-is-lying...

Quelques os?

Incredible that a city such as Paris cannot cope with a little snow.

NEW: A mass propaganda event is about to engulf the US news cycle and what, if anything, survives it will be a lesson for our times. But it’s what the rest of the world does now that’s key. When someone tells you who they are, believe them. broligarchy.substack.com/p/the-threat...

Quel régal de passer un peu de temps avec ce grand monsieur 🤩 podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/l...

Excellent from @benlyt.bsky.social 🤩

C’est pas cher

"J'ai écrit avec le cœur" : la mère de Christophe Gleizes demande au président algérien de gracier son fils. ➡️ https://l.franceinter.fr/wGD Le journaliste sportif français a été condamné en appel, début décembre en Algérie, à sept ans de prison ferme.

Chaque mot.

Rather wonderful that French daily Liberation has Martin Parr on the front page 🤩

Very sad to hear of Martin Parr’s passing. Really enjoyed this wonderful film about his life and works. www.youtube.com/watch?v=60-E...

Lecture du weekend 🤩 Merci à Chérif Ghemmour et les amis @so-foot.bsky.social

Tough job. Someone’s gotta do it.