Jules Boykoff

FIFA to allow cut-away TV commercials during 2026 World Cup ‘hydration breaks’ Matches at the 2026 World Cup will feature more TV ads than usual, with FIFA opening the door after instituting a blanket water break edict

Well well well, FIFA manages to profit off of the ravages of climate change: "FIFA to allow cut-away TV commercials during 2026 World Cup ‘hydration breaks’." There will be two hydration breaks per match. By @henrybushnell.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/708...

The Mbappe Project: Making a Superstar Making a Superstar

Publication day! My new book, "The Mbappé Project", is officially out today. It is not a biography, but an attempt to understand and explain how a football prodigy was built into a global star by his entourage and by himself, retaining control every step of the way.

uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-...

The World’s Leading Left-Wing Football Clubs While most football clubs’ fanbases are apolitical, some have a progressive nature baked into their identity. Here are some of the world’s top left-wing fanbases.

NEW POST 🗞️

The world’s leading left-wing football clubs 📣

Politics and football mix on both sides of the political spectrum.

In the suburbs of Hamburg, London, Dublin, Paris, and beyond, interesting movements are happening.

Read on…

open.substack.com/pub/outsidew...

fascinating how three contiguous countries that share borders are portrayed as totally separate entities. perhaps inadvertently symbolic, albeit an aesthetic disaster, for sure

never, ever, ever, ever accept "how will you pay for it?" as an argument against social programs.

Donald Trump ‘really does not care’ if Iran play at World Cup 2026 Donald Trump says he does not care whether Iran participate in this summer’s World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada

Donald Trump's thoughts on whether Iran will participate in the 2026 World Cup? “I really don’t care.” www.theguardian.com/football/202...

The cover of environmental Sociology now, edited by Jordan Fox, Ian Carrillo, J.P. Sapinski, and Diana Stuart

Today is the official publication day of Environmental Sociology Now!

@ucpress.bsky.social

www.ucpress.edu/books/enviro...

ICE OUT NOW.

ICE OUT NOW #mnufc

FUCK ICE chant just broke out during the moment of silence at the start of the Loons game

If FIFA did, for some reason, regularly give out a Peace Prize, you’d think #1 on the list of criteria for potential winners would be “do not start a war with another nation in the World Cup, directly before the start of the World Cup”

Trump’s Iran War Could Be an Even Bigger Catastrophe Than Iraq Remarkably, Trump seems on the verge of outdoing George W. Bush in reckless, stupid militarism.

"Trump’s Iran War Could Be an Even Bigger Catastrophe Than Iraq" by @jeetheer.bsky.social for @thenation.com www.thenation.com/article/poli...

screen shot of a Wall Street journal opinion piece by JD Vance with the title "Trump's Best Foreign Policy? Not Starting Any Wars" beneath the headline is a photo of Volodymyr Zelensky in front of yellow and blu flags in a green shirt gesturing with his right hand

Zero Integrity Politics with horrific results

I can’t tell if he is outraged or envious.

Soccer chief's plan to boost women's game? Hotpants Football's most senior administrator attracted the wrath of the women's game last night by suggesting female players wear tighter shorts to promote "a more female aesthetic".

Lest we forget, former FIFA boss Sepp Blatter infamously suggested that women footballers should wear "tighter shorts" to attract fans & "to create a more female aesthetic" www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/jan/...

‘FIFA is a dictatorship’: A former FIFA president lashes out at his successor’s Trump ties Sepp Blatter has been banned from international soccer. But he’s not keeping quiet about what Gianni Infantino’s efforts to win White House access mean for the game.

❗Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter says "FIFA is a dictatorship!" under his successor Gianni Infantino & that "I have not heard or read of a single occasion on which Infantino stopped Trump from doing anything — even though his policies cry out to heaven." www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

Cover of Kicking by Jules Boykoff. Cover is a peach color. At the top of the cover the word Practices is centered in a handwritten script. The main title is in the middle in the same script and the author's hand printed name is at the bottom.

In the newest book in our Practices series, "Kicking," poet, scholar, and former professional soccer player, @julesboykoff.bsky.social? explores the beautiful game. Out just in time for the #WorldCup! Read the intro for free now.
buff.ly/5aPPwPU

Jules Boykoff on Politics at the 2026 Winter Olympics As the winter Olympics come to a close, a number of athletes have drawn controversy for their political statements. U.S. athletes, in particular, have expressed conflicting feelings about representing...

"It has been an interesting moment to have these athletes speaking out, and it’s a tribute to the social movements on the streets."

@julesboykoff.bsky.social (Pacific University) discusses the political statements made by athletes at the #MilanoCortina2026 Olympics. Watch from @democracynow.org:

Picture of Corinthians players covering their mouths in solidarity with Vinicius Jr. who suffered racial abuse. Their jerseys say “racism is a crime, denounce it.”

Corinthians players cover their mouths in solidarity with Vinicius Jr. who suffered racial abuse. Their jerseys say “racism is a crime, denounce it.”

I am once again honored to be even loosely associated with this brilliant conversation. This is so thorough and smart and you will absolutely learn something (that will probably make you want to punch a pillow).

Awwww. this is super-generous of you, Jessica. Always honored to have the chance to connect with BIAD!

Former FSU professor stands with Dr Posbergh.

YouTube video by Burn It All Down Interview: Dr. Jules Boykoff on the ’26 #WinterOlympics

What a treat it was to break down the politics of the 2026 Winter Olympics with Dr. @amirarose.bsky.social on @burnitalldownpod.com! We also talked about anti-Olympics activism as we pivot toward the LA28 Games & the work of @nolympicsla.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di9D...

Solidarity with Dr. Anna Posbergh! Florida State University, where she works, is cracking down on her for having the temerity to research & talk about transgender athletes & global sports policy, which is one of her academic specialties.

We wrote this *before* last night's SOTU where Trump used the USA men's hockey team as his own personal political prop: “Unlike other US Olympians speaking out against this regime, men's hockey players chose to be lickspittles.” @thenation.com

Yep. bsky.app/profile/jule...

4 Minnesota guys

@slyngstad.bsky.social

Needs to be the start of a boycott by global sport until he's out.

German soccer club cancel US trip amid concerns over ICE actions in Minnesota A Werder Bremen spokesperson said that “playing in a city where there is unrest and people have been shot does not fit with our values”

You know, it’s probably time to listen when Germany is telling you that your country is getting too authoritarian.

“German Soccer Club Cancels US Trip Amid Concerns over ICE Actions in Minnesota”
www.theguardian.com/football/202...