I wanted to share this short video clip I came across in the New York Times. While we have been talking a lot about the astronomical political and economic effects of the 2014 World Cup on Brazil, I think this video highlights a more personalized perspective on the passion Brazilians have towards the sport. Soccer… Read More »
We spoke briefly about Bob Bradley today, and I wanted to share this clip of him being interviewed by John Oliver on The Daily Show over the summer. It does a good job of illuminating both the themes we’ve discussed in class (soccer as a vehicle of political mobilization, the universality of the sport, etc)… Read More »
After the conclusion of the World Cup, a new cycle of FIFA World Rankings begins. Every month, FIFA releases an updated list ranking every national football team — #1 to #207. For most fans, myself included, these rankings seem arbitrary. What does it matter that Croatia is ranked #10 and USA is #13? What does… Read More »
cross-posted from ¿Opio del Pueblo? Friday’s CONCACAF qualifying matches will go a long way to clarifying who will represent the region in 2014 in Brazil. The United States and Costa Rica are already in, while a victory for Honduras would see it grab a spot in the intercontinental playoffs at worst. But by far the… Read More »
Growing up around an Egyptian father–absolutely obsessed with football–there were certain truths that I had to accept and never question: 1. Pele is the greatest soccer player of all time, and any Argentinian fan who disagrees is blinded by bias. 2. Never trust a fan of the Algerian national team. 3. Never be optimistic about… Read More »
J’étais particulièrement attirée par les lectures cette semaine (Gaffney, Temples of the Earthbound Gods) à cause de la familiarité et ma capacité de relier. Grâce à ma mère qui est née et a grandi à Rio de Janeiro, j’ai la chance d’avoir la double nationalité. Comme mes grands-parents et tantes vivent encore là, j’ai passé… Read More »
One of my colleagues brought up the “disaster” that Qatar’s World Cup is turning out to be. I felt that I just wanted to elaborate on why I think FIFA should truly reconsider hosting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Is this even an option at this point? According to recent reports, Sepp Blatter… Read More »
A week ago, The Independent published an update about Zahir Belounis, a French Algerian footballer who is being held in Qatar in “virtual captivity” due to the same kafala system of visa sponsorship blamed for the mistreatment of Nepali immigrant workers. Belounis played for the El Jaish club in Quatar and will not be allowed… Read More »
Christopher Gaffney’s book Temples of the Earthbound Gods offers us a rich geographical, culture, and ethnographic look at the way lives in Brazil and Argentina intersect with and our transformed by the space of stadia. Based on this long-term research, Gaffney has recently been blogging from Brazil in advance of the 2014 World Cup, providing… Read More »
According to paperwork found in the Nepalese embassy in Doha, at least 44 workers died between 4 June and 8 August. More than half collapsed dead from heart attacks, heart failure or “workplace accidents.” The investigation has found: • Evidence of forced labour on a huge World Cup infrastructure project. • Most workers have not been… Read More »
