World Cup: The Great Game

The Lionel Messi Guide to Living

Like any great artist, the aging soccer phenom showed a youth-obsessed world the potential glory of a late-style triumph.

• Franklin Foer
• December 18, 2022

The Qatar World Cup Is History

The tournament lent itself to moments of drama that also fit into broader historical narratives.

• Laurent Dubois
• December 18, 2022

Qatar Won

For its hosts, this World Cup has already delivered on its PR potential.

• Tom McTague
• December 16, 2022

The Joy of Morocco

The Moroccan team may have lost its semifinal World Cup game, but it still made history.

• Clint Smith
• December 16, 2022

The Ultimate Postcolonial Derby

Morocco and France meet in a historic showdown with deep significance for fans of both teams.

• Laurent Dubois
• December 14, 2022

The Absurd Talent of Kylian Mbappé

The French star player has already proved that he’s one of the best in the history of the game.

• Clint Smith
• December 10, 2022

Remembering Grant Wahl, a Champion of American Soccer

The journalist died on Friday in Qatar at age 49.

• Franklin Foer
• December 10, 2022

The Psychological Test of Japan’s Finale

The Samurai Blue’s loss against Croatia showed that scoring penalties is a distinct art.

• Adam Serwer
• December 5, 2022

The Joy and Anguish of Argentine Soccer

Following decades of economic turmoil and civic distrust, Argentines place the weight of their nation’s hopes on a World Cup win

• Aldana Vales
• December 3, 2022

The American Soccer Bar Wakes Up

World Cup pub crowds capture the promise and potential of an emerging stateside fandom

• Mara Wilson
• December 3, 2022

America, the Naive

In Saturday’s World Cup–eliminating defeat, the U.S. men’s team revealed its shortcomings against the old-world sophistication of the Netherlands.

• Franklin Foer
• December 3, 2022

The Wizardry of South Korea’s Win

The team’s advancement to the World Cup round of 16 is poised to shape an entire generation of South Korean soccer.

• Adam Harris
• December 2, 2022

The Cursed Goal

Belgium’s elimination from the World Cup showed that sometimes, for no apparent reason, the ball just won’t go in.

• Adam Serwer
• December 2, 2022

Ghana’s Grudge Match

Twelve years ago, Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez blocked Ghana’s shot at the semifinals with a handball. On Friday, they’ll get a chance to bite back.

• Adam Serwer
• December 1, 2022

The Tormented Soul of Iranian Soccer

This World Cup could pose the gravest threat yet to the Islamic regime.

• Franklin Foer
• November 29, 2022

What We Ask of Black American Athletes

The captain of the U.S. soccer team is the latest in a long line of sports stars who have had to wrestle with a complex legacy on the world stage.

• Clint Smith
• November 29, 2022

At Last, the Americans Have Arrived

Sometimes progress is measured in ties.

• Franklin Foer
• November 25, 2022

Empires of Soccer

England’s game is America’s, for now. But the Qatar World Cup shows that no undisputed set of values can unite us all.

• Tom McTague
• November 25, 2022

The Greatest Day in Arab Soccer?

Argentina’s World Cup upset underscores the ambivalence of watching this year’s tournament.

• Rabih Alameddine
• November 23, 2022

A Kid’s-Eye View of the U.S. vs. ‘Whales’

Holiday-season play makes this World Cup a family affair.

• Clint Smith
• November 22, 2022