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  • Football

the app of the betting company Bet Nacional is displayed on a smartphone showing a match of the Brazilian national football championship open for betting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 2 October 2024. MAURO PIMENTEL / AFP

The World Cup and the meteoric rise of sports betting

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

Abdel-Rahman Ayas 27 June 2026
Boris Séméniako

10 books that showcase how football mirrors the world

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.

Bahaa Iy'ali 25 June 2026
A painting by the Egyptian artist George Bahgory from the series “Love and Football”.
George Bahgoury via Facebook

Football and art: fusing a popular sport with culture

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

Mimoza Al-Arrawi 23 June 2026
Sara Gironi Carnevale

A smarter ball, or a safer one? The header dilemma facing world football

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

Marco Mossad 18 June 2026
Stefano Summo

World Cup songs: from local themes to global industry

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?

Najeeb Mubarak 16 June 2026
This view shows the stand and the skyscrapers of New York during the 2026 World Cup Group C football match between Brazil and Morocco at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on 13 June 2026. Angela WEISS / AFP

How FIFA turned the World Cup into a giant cash cow

Billions of dollars are streaming into the Swiss-based organisation from broadcasting rights, advertising revenue, and ticket and hospitality sales, but have the fans been left high and dry?

Abdulfattah Khattab 14 June 2026
Al Majalla

From first-timers to semi-finalists: Arab teams in the World Cup

Fans of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have made their way across the Atlantic to cheer on their teams

Mohamed Qutob 14 June 2026
Olga Aleksandrova

2026 World Cup: football in the age of AI

From 3D players to data-transmitting balls, the sport's biggest tournament is awash with technology to help with everything from offside decisions to viewer angles, but does this come at a cost?

Marco Mossad 11 June 2026
Gregori Saavedra

The World Cup has always been a pitch for global politics

From Hitler and Mussolini to South American dictators, world leaders have long seen in football's biggest tournament an opportunity to further an agenda

Mohamed Qutob 11 June 2026
Al Majalla

Al Majalla’s Film Watch: football on the big screen

We highlight some of the most notable movies centred on the world's most coveted sport

Wael Said 11 June 2026
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Sara Padovan
Politics

A landslide for Democrats. A rebuke to Donald Trump

04, Nov 2026

Republicans face a tumultuous new era

The Economist
Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Rwanda's Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva during a welcoming ceremony for participants of the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, Russia, on 28 October 2026. Igor Ivanko/REUTERS
Business & Economy

Russia-Africa summit: ambitions and challenges

29, Oct 2026

Amid competition for influence and resources, Russia knows that Africa is a market with potential. For African states, Russian companies are still of interest, but the value equation needs to change

Rana Freifer
Pete Reynolds
Politics

Israel election: musical chairs for parties, not policies

29, Oct 2026

Whoever forms the next government, Benjamin Netanyahu's tenure and effect have been such that, on the key issues, there will be little to no diversion from his policy path

Majed Kayali
Vasya Kolotusha
Science & Technology

Humanoid robots: the industry set to reshape our lives

02, Nov 2026

Engineering and mechanics have helped these products of the future move. Now AI is helping with understanding and autonomous action. Big developments are unfolding across the world

Marco Mossad
QatarEnergy headquarters in the capital, Doha, on 8 November 2022.
 AFP
Business & Economy

Can China's $3bn loan to QatarEnergy revive LNG exports?

03, Nov 2026

While the financing does not mean Beijing has bought Doha's political loyalty, it demonstrates the growing interdependence between the two countries

Abdel-Rahman Ayas

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OPINIONS

Trump's midterm flop

Fares Garabet
Fares Garabet

A landslide for Democrats. A rebuke to Donald Trump

The Economist
The Economist

Airstrikes reveal fragile Jordan-Syria security partnership

Haid Haid
Haid Haid

Al Majalla's Book Watch

Khodr Al Agha
Khodr Al Agha
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