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Long-form football features, in-depth stories and exclusive content from the Footy Times team.
Best Third-Placed Teams: The 2026 Rule Explained
For most of the World Cup's history, third place meant a flight home. In 2026, it might mean a place in the knockouts. Best Third-Placed Teams: The 2026 World Cup Rule Explained.
The expanded 48-team format created an odd new problem.…
8 New Rules Coming to the FIFA World Cup: Everything You Need to Know
FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina has confirmed that these regulations will be active starting from the next World Cup.
2026 FIFA World Cup: Every Squad in Full
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on 11 June and runs through to 19 July, with 48 teams competing across the United States, Canada and Mexico for the first time.
Each nation has registered a 26-man squad ahead of FIFA's 2 June submission…
“Dictator Mbappé” Meme Goes Viral Across Social Media
French football star Kylian Mbappé has become the center of a viral online trend known as "Dictator Mbappé," a meme that portrays the Real Madrid forward as some of history's most infamous authoritarian leaders.
The trend has gained…
The Messiah of Naples: Diego Maradona
Some football stories are written in trophies and statistics. Others are written in emotion. The story of Diego Maradona and Napoli belongs firmly to the latter.
While walking through the narrow streets of Naples, one presence is…
Unsung Heroes of World Cups: Attilio Ferraris | 1934 Italy
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was held under the auspices of the Fascist regime in Mussolini’s Italy. I would love to point out the differences which the 1934 World Cup and the recent ones, but I can't help but be inundated by the similarities.…
Blood on the Sleeve: Arsenal’s Long Walk from Rwanda to Deel
Arsenal Football Club have just been crowned Premier League champions. Yet as confetti settles over the Emirates and North London celebrates its first title in over two decades, the club finds itself embroiled in a controversy that has…
Premier League Final Day: Arsenal Crowned, West Ham Relegated & Guardiola Departs
The 2025-26 Premier League season concluded with intense drama. A day of joy, distress, and emotional farewells gripped the nation. West Ham United went down. Pep Guardiola bowed out in tears. Meanwhile, Arsenal’s Champagne finally…
Why Arsenal Became Africa’s Premier League Club
Arsenal won the Premier League this week after a 22-year wait. In London, the wait felt eternal. Across most of Africa, it did not really matter. The continent had decided long ago that Arsenal was its club. The Tuesday-night title only…
Ernst Kuzorra: Belonging and playing in Nazi Germany | Part 1
Through the grainy monochrome of a minute-long footage from a match that happened more than ninety years ago, one can still see a robust footballer dribbling past a nagging defender with confident ease. He enters the box, which came without…