Football

The beautiful game cuts across class and conflict, changing relationships and communities. Al Majalla looks at its depiction in Arab literature

Apparel representing national teams from yesteryear is not just a nod to identity but a new fashion language

As the FIFA World Cup 2026 shows, identity, belonging, and tension combine to make football fandom unlike any other sport. So, what is going on in fans' brains?

Owing to time-zone differences, the tournament is creating a new spending cycle for cafés and restaurants in Arab cities

As millions cross borders and continents, could stadiums become the epicentre of a new global outbreak?

As sports gambling becomes a multibillion-dollar global business, fuelled by   digital technology and regulatory change, its influence is extending far beyond the pitch 

All of life can be seen and understood through the world's most popular sport, as authors from different countries and eras have shown. Al Majalla looks at the books with the biggest impact.

Artists use paintings, sculpture, murals, and digital designs to iconise, idolise, and mythologise football culture in a language understood by all

The official World Cup ball showcases the latest advances in football technology, but new research questions whether future designs should prioritise brain safety as well as performance

Football's biggest tournament has come to adopt a single soundtrack every four years to give each offering a distinct identity. Is this genuine culture, or a mass marketing technique?