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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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Al Majalla
Politics

Lula defies Latin America’s pro-Trump wave

28, Oct 2026

Brazil's left-wing president won a historic fourth term in office

Catherine Osborn
Pete Reynolds
Politics

Israel’s election may not end its political crisis

26, Oct 2026

The election setup and the deep polarisation that has plagued Israel in recent years could mean a prolonged deadlock may be the most likely outcome

Michael Horowitz
President Masoud Pezeshkian (R) greeting Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi (R), in Tehran on 18 May 2025. Iranian Presidency / AFP
Politics

Afghanistan: Iran's strategic depth card in Central Asia

28, Oct 2026

Once nurtured by Pakistan, the Taliban now works closely with Iran, much to the delight of Russia and China

Kamal Alam
Al Majalla
Business & Economy

Energy security and resiliency in an uncertain world

24, Oct 2026

Türkiye's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources writes for Al Majalla

Alparslan Bayraktar
Al Majalla
Culture & Social Affairs

The Palestinian flag in France: from student activism to social unrest 

23, Oct 2026

Once a symbol of solidarity with the Palestinian cause, it is now being used by different groups to advance their own grievances and agendas

Waddah Abu Jamea

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OPINIONS

No clear winner in Israeli polls

Fares Garabet
Fares Garabet

Lula defies Latin America’s pro-Trump wave

Catherine Osborn
Catherine Osborn

Afghanistan: Iran's strategic depth card in Central Asia

Kamal Alam
Kamal Alam

Crypto platforms are tapping into the Gulf sporting boom

Abdel-Rahman Ayas
Abdel-Rahman Ayas
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