FIFA

May 25, 2024 | David May |

FIFA Is Latest Target of Palestinian Hijacking

The Palestinian political intifada reached FIFA, soccer’s governing body, last Friday. Cloaked in the language of justice and human rights, the Palestinian FIFA delegation continued its decades-long...

May 20, 2024 | |

Qatari Royal Facing Arrest Warrant in UK Over $6 Billion Debt

An English judge issued an arrest warrant on May 16 for a member of Qatar’s ruling Al Thani family. Sheikh Fahad Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Thani, a cousin of former Qatari prime minister...

January 29, 2024 | David May |

Don’t Punish Israeli Athletes for Receiving Death Threats

Instead of protecting Israeli athletes facing threats of violence, some sporting bodies have rewarded terrorism by banning Israeli competitors, often while insisting the exclusion is for the athletes’...

August 17, 2023 | Haisam Hassanein |

Saudi-Israeli peace is no pipe dream

Is a Saudi-Israeli peace deal just around the corner or still just a long-term hope? The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington and Riyadh “have agreed on the broad contours...

April 1, 2023 | David May |

Indonesia scores own goal with hostility to Israel

Attempting to ban Israeli athletes proved to be a costly own goal for Indonesia. On Wednesday, FIFA stripped Indonesia of hosting duties for the under-20 soccer World Cup due to Jakarta’s inability...

December 19, 2022 | Jonathan Schanzer, Hussain Abdul-Hussain

It’s not just the EU that needs to scrutinize Qatar’s influence campaigns

There’s nothing wrong with deploying capital for economic growth — but Doha seeks to gain sway too.

November 25, 2022 | |

Qatar Forced to Allow Israelis at World Cup

Thousands of Israelis are expected to visit Qatar this month as the Gulf nation hosts the World Cup. Despite the influx of visitors, there are strong indications that the tournament will not herald a diplomatic breakthrough between the two countries. Rather, the developments suggest a pragmatic Qatar willing to do what is required to host the world’s biggest sporting event.

November 22, 2022 | Joe Truzman, Caleb Weiss

Jihadis issue vague threats against World Cup

In online statements, both al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and al Qaeda’s general command issued vague threats against the FIFA World Cup and its host Qatar. Islamic State supporters have additionally...

November 18, 2022 | |

The World Cup Spotlights Qatar’s Abuses

Latest Developments With the World Cup kicking off this Sunday, Qatar hopes to improve its image by hosting the planet’s largest sporting event. However, the added attention generated by the tournament...

November 17, 2022 | Hussain Abdul-Hussain |

World Cup 2022: What’s In It For Qatar?

To host soccer’s top international competition, held once every four years, Qatar had to spend $300 billion — the equivalent of 170 percent of its GDP — buying not only a brand new infrastructure...

October 5, 2022 | David May |

The World Cup Won’t Clean Up Qatar’s Image

Doha’s $220 billion public relations stunt is crashing and burning. By halftime of its inaugural game on September 9, the 2022 World Cup’s flagship stadium ran out of water. Panicked fans got a taste...

April 5, 2022 | Zane Zovak |

Why the IOC Doesn’t Deserve Gold for Its Olympics Campaign

While more than 1 million Uyghurs and other minorities suffer mass detention, forced labor and torture in Xinjiang in western China, many of the world’s greatest athletes competed in Beijing at the...

February 23, 2022 | Clifford D. May |

Putin’s winter war

A strategy to contain him should have been implemented years ago

September 9, 2021 | David May, Michael Levinson

Give Sports Bigotry No Sanction

Hamid Sajjadi, Iran’s recently appointed minister of sports, warned Iranian athletes in August not to compete against counterparts from the “child-killing and occupying regime of Israel.” With the...

July 7, 2021 | Benjamin Weinthal |

The US Must Punish Iran’s Regime For Its Lethal Homophobia

As LGBTQ Pride Month concludes in the free and democratic world, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s totalitarian regime continues to violently oppress and eliminate sexual minorities. The existence of the...

December 21, 2020 | Hossein Khosrov Ali Vaziri, Benjamin Weinthal, Alireza Nader

The Olympics must ban Iran

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and United World Wrestling (UWW) — the global governing body for amateur wrestling—squandered a chance to save the life of Navid Afkari, the Iranian champion put...

December 7, 2020 | David May |

It’s time to stop the Palestinian sports boycott of Israel

Jibril Rajoub's strategy to boycott and isolate Israel in sports had worked until this summer. But the reactions by FIFA and other bodies shows how weak his claims have always been.

October 4, 2020 | Benjamin Weinthal |

Is Qatar lying about its COVID-19 outbreak to avoid jeopardizing its hosting of the World Cup?

According to John Hopkins University, Qatar has suffered at least 216 total deaths and 126,339 total cases

September 18, 2020 | Benjamin Weinthal |

Strip Qatar’s Homophobic Regime of the 2022 World Cup Now

There is no shortage of compelling reasons to relocate the 2022 FIFA World Cup from the small Gulf country of Qatar to another host nation. The frequently cited arguments range from Qatar bribing members...

August 28, 2019 | Benjamin Weinthal |

Will Qatar allow Israeli fans to attend FIFA World Cup 2022?

New report suggests Qatar may not be in compliance with FIFA’s ethical code.