Via Foreign Policy, commentary on how hard power has left its mark on this year's World Cup: On an idyllic spring day this year, diplomats gathered in the United Nations garden to kick around a soccer ball. In anticipation [...]

Via Defector, a look at the state of sportswashing in soccer: On Dec. 5, 2025, FIFA President Gianni Infantino presented Donald Trump with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize, nominally for Trump's "tireless efforts to bring [...]

Via ImpactAlpha, commentary on the sportswashing implications of World Cup 2026: Football (soccer to us Yanks) is “the beautiful game.” The sport’s best players combine physical grace, mental agility, and joy on the [...]