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Long-form football features, in-depth stories and exclusive content from the Footy Times team.
The Workers Cup: An Ode to Labourers Who Built Qatar’s Stadiums for the World Cup
Adam Sobel’s The Workers Cup explores the lives of migrant labourers who built Qatar’s World Cup infrastructure, using a football tournament as a window into their dreams, hardships and resilience. Muhammed Noushad reviews the documentary…
Who Are Johor Darul Ta’zim? Chelsea’s Malaysian Opponents
There is a subplot to Chelsea's pre-season visit to Malaysia that will not have been lost on anyone old enough to remember the night of 3 May 2005. Johor Darul Ta'zim's chief executive officer is Luis Garcia — the former Liverpool…
The Last World Cup of Football’s Last Great Generation
There is a generation of football supporters — those born somewhere in the corridor between the mid-eighties and the late nineties — for whom the game has been organised, for their entire conscious lives, around a small number of enormous…
Remembering Escobar for a Reason After Three Decades
Andres Escobar’s ghost still seems to be casting a poignant shadow over Colombian football. Otherwise, why should a footballer fear for his life, for a sporting failure, even after 32 years since Escobar's martyrdom in Colombia? I should,…
Scaloni and De la Fuente: Parallel Journeys, Contrasting Footballing Identities
Both Scaloni and De la Fuente emerged from relatively understated coaching backgrounds, lacking the elite club achievements that often define managerial reputations. Their early association within the broader Spanish football ecosystem,…
Tuchel’s Tactical Blunder or Overconfidence: A Costly Collapse Against Argentina
England’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina will be remembered as a game that slipped away—not through sheer dominance by the opposition, but through a series of tactical decisions that gradually handed control to them. Under Thomas…
England and Argentina Renew Historic Rivalry in High-Stakes Semifinal Showdown
The fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FIFA World Cup 2026 is set for another unforgettable spectacle as defending champions Argentina take on England in the tournament's second semifinal on…
From ‘Haramball’ to Tactical Genius: Who Gets to Play Beautiful Football?
For ninety minutes, Japan made Brazil appear unusually ordinary. South Africa, dismissed by many before kick-off, reduced Canada to a single decisive moment. Paraguay matched Germany stride for stride before eliminating the four-time world…
From the Bench to the Spotlight: Gessime Yassine’s Key Role in Morocco’s Triumph
In a thrilling knockout clash at Estadio Monterrey on June 29, 2026, Morocco edged out the Netherlands 1-1 (3-2 on penalties) to advance to the Round of 16, where they will face co-hosts Canada. The match was a tense, hard-fought affair…
The Longest Run
On 17 June 2006, in Frankfurt, a 21-year-old wearing the number 17 shirt stepped up to take a penalty for Portugal against Iran. He was wearing 17 because Luis Figo — Portugal's captain, their most decorated player, the man whose shoes he…