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Long-form football features, in-depth stories and exclusive content from the Footy Times team.
What Happens During a Football Medical? Inside the Tests That Can Make or Break a Transfer
A football transfer can look complete long before a player pulls on his new club's shirt. The fee may have been agreed, personal terms settled and a contract prepared, but there is still one important hurdle before the paperwork is…
Argentina Spent a Decade Doubting Messi. They Owe Him an Apology, Not a Verdict
There is a version of this story that ends in New Jersey on July 19, with Ferran Torres wheeling away in the second period of extra time and Lionel Messi standing with his hands on his hips, watching Spain do to Argentina in a final what…
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…