Is Japan doomed?
Japan is heading for trouble, the country’s prime minster Fumio Kishida has suggested. ‘Our country is on the brink of…
Why Japan has been a post-Brexit ally to Britain
Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida is in London today to meet Rishi Sunak and sign an historic defence agreement which…
What we learned from the Qatar World Cup
It is a measure of the unexpected success of the Qatar World Cup that it could be hailed as the…
Why Argentina is the team we love to hate
With the prospect of Messi closing out his glorious career with the ultimate prize it’s likely most neutral fans will…
Why Messi matters
I hope that the Argentinian national team (also known as Lionel Messi) will win its third (or first?) World Cup…
Let’s kick penalties out of football
Spain crashed out of the World Cup on penalties last night, despite dominating possession against Morocco for two solid hours.…
Will the end of zero Covid be the real legacy of the World Cup?
You often hear about ‘legacy’ when international sporting tournaments come around. It’s a weasel word used by the organisers to…
The World Cup armband row would never happen in Japan
Before the start of their World Cup game with Japan, the German team chose to make a ‘protest’. Each player…
Fifa 1 – England 0
England have backed down in the ludicrous standoff with Fifa over the plan for captain Harry Kane to wear a…
Fifa’s president is feeling African, gay and disabled. I’m feeling confused
‘I’m defending football here, and injustice’ was the standout quote, for me, from what has been described as a ‘bizarre…
The problem with Ronaldo’s betrayal narrative
Cristiano Ronaldo has almost certainly played his last game for Manchester United after an ‘explosive’ interview which ‘the whole world’s…
Football’s problems run far beyond the Qatar World Cup
Are there any redeeming features of the Qatar World Cup? Perhaps one: the tournament has a sane and logical format.…
Did lockdown contribute to Seoul’s Halloween tragedy?
At least 151 people were crushed or trampled to death in a narrow alley in the South Korean capital Seoul…
In defence of VAR
There isn’t much that unites the fractious, dysfunctional football family. But in the UK, at least, there is something most…
Hard to swallow
Japanese food is over-hyped
Paris’s football World Cup boycott will achieve little
Several French cities have announced that they will be boycotting the upcoming World Cup in protest against the Qatari state’s…
The anger behind Shinzo Abe’s state funeral
Tokyo While not quite on the scale of Her Majesty’s service, Tuesday’s state funeral of Japan’s longest serving PM Shinzo…
In defence of Rangers’ royal tribute
Ibrox stadium, home of Rangers football club, saw a powerful tribute to the late Queen last night before the team’s…
Japan’s cult of safetyism
The Japanese government has launched an initiative to encourage young people to drink more alcohol. Yes, really. The national tax…
Japan’s nuclear renaissance
Japan is reversing its avowedly anti-nuclear stance, restarting idled plants and looking to develop a new generation of reactors, announced Prime Minister…
In defence of Graeme Souness’ ‘man’s game’ comments
‘Language please, there are ladies present’, that was the kind of thing you would occasionally hear when some possibly overly…
What does England’s victory mean for women’s football?
Well, thank goodness for that. Just as it seemed the England’s women’s football team might be about to extend the…
Why is the BBC’s women’s football coverage so patronising?
Be honest, how excited are you about the women’s European football championship? The BBC – which will broadcast every game…
Why won’t David Beckham criticise Qatar?
David Beckham has come under fire for failing to speak out about human rights abuses in Qatar. Amnesty International said…
Gareth Southgate doesn’t know what he’s doing
‘The Hungar Shames’ screamed the Sun after England suffered a mortifying 0-4 defeat to the not so mighty Magyars last…
