Sam Lewis (she/they) 🌈

a cartoon character holding a sign that says the end is near ALT: a cartoon character holding a sign that says the end is near

the Wanderers beating Sydney FC in a women’s derby for the first time in over 2,000 days. we really are in the end times. #ALeagueWomen

Politics is about choices.

This government is choosing to spend more on tax breaks for landlords than on social housing, homelessness and rent assistance combined.

While you're getting smashed by unlimited rent increases and massive mortgage repayments.

No increase in Women’s Asian Cup prize money despite player pleas for ‘respect’ Exclusive: Prize money at the upcoming tournament in Australia will not increase from what was offered by the AFC at the last edition four years ago

exclusive: the AFC won't increase prize money for this year's Women's Asian Cup despite repeated pleas from players. a public campaign is being planned calling attention to what is now the lowest-paying major women's tournament in the world.

www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/j...

A statement from the Asian Football Confederation about why they will not increase prize money for the 2026 Women's Asian Cup.

we couldn't publish the full AFC response due to word count, but their explanation here speaks to a much wider problematic view in sport that women don't deserve greater investment until they've "proven" they can make commercial returns. as if that's how investment in any emerging product works.

No increase in Women’s Asian Cup prize money despite player pleas for ‘respect’ Exclusive: Prize money at the upcoming tournament in Australia will not increase from what was offered by the AFC at the last edition four years ago

exclusive: the AFC won't increase prize money for this year's Women's Asian Cup despite repeated pleas from players. a public campaign is being planned calling attention to what is now the lowest-paying major women's tournament in the world.

www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/j...

I was umming and ahhing about Johnson, but I opted for a bit more tournament experience in this list. she'd be my first reserve though, and won't be shocked if she's picked over Vine.

Kyah Simon 2023 World Cup Selection "Livin' On A Prayer" 2.0

if the Matildas are anything this tournament, I want them to be brave. it's all well and good to keep the ball for 90 minutes, but if you do nothing ambitious with it, what's the point?

Predicting the Matildas’ 2026 Women’s Asian Cup squad and Joe Montemurro's first XI Women's football journalist SAMANTHA LEWIS casts her eye over the Matildas squad as the countdown to selection time heats up.

I had a crack at predicting the #Matildas 26-player squad for the 2026 #AFCWAC, due to be announced next month.

how close did I get? are there any glaring omissions or silly inclusions?

football360.com.au/matildas-202...

Layoffs over the last year:

UPS: 48,000
Amazon: 32000
Intel: 27,159
Microsoft: 15,387
Nestle: 16000
Verizon: 15000
Google: 12000
Chevron: 8000
Paramount: 7000
Walmart: 7000
P&G: 7000
Estée Lauder: 7000

Your reminder that massive corporate tax cuts don’t create jobs, they create profits.

a man with glasses says boy do i hate being right all the time ALT: a man with glasses says boy do i hate being right all the time

inside.fifa.com/transfer-sys...

FIFA transfer data are out for 2025 and some notable takeaways on the women’s side: global growth of 83% over 2024 and Australia again got 1% of the global pie.

more than a few #ALeagueWomen players who played under Rado at Melbourne City have said he was one of the best and kindest coaches they’ve ever had. what a terrible loss for our game. I hope he knew how grateful we all were for him.

Removing US as World Cup host would be eminently sad – and entirely justified | Alexander Abnos A country where safety is under threat from federal violence on the streets is not fit to stage soccer’s showpiece event Removing the United States as co-host of the 2026 World Cup would hurt for pretty much everyone. Fans would miss out on seeing the sport’s pinnacle in their home towns (or somewhere nearby). Cities and businesses small and large would lose the financial benefits they had banked on. It would be a logistical and political nightmare on an international scale, the likes of which have never been seen before in sports. It would be eminently sad. And it would be entirely justified. It brings me no pleasure to say this. The United States has been eager to host a men’s World Cup for more than a decade and a half. The desire survived and even grew after 2010’s failure to out-bid Russia and Qatar (in public and behind closed doors) for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. With hosting rights for 2026 later secured alongside Canada and Mexico, the US soccer scene prepared to show off that the sport is now part of the nation’s fabric, 32 years after hosting the tournament for the first time in 1994. Soccer’s growing popularity in America has helped inspire other US sports to try new formats, encouraged us to engage more fully with the world in a sporting context, and has been at the center of conversations about our society and culture. The 2026 World Cup was seen as the best chance for the world to fully experience not just how much the US has improved at soccer, but how much soccer has improved the US. Continue reading...

Removing US as World Cup host would be eminently sad – and entirely justified | Alexander Abnos

A Saturday and a state killing: soccer as Minnesota is torn apart | Jeff Rueter On the whims of Fifa’s Peace Prize winner, a life usually so focused on sports has found anything but peace

NEW: Reflections on a soccer Saturday, from a state under siege by the FIFA Peace Prize winner. www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Not that Fifa will do it, but Federal agents repeatedly killing innocent people in the streets in broad daylight with multiple witnesses and without accountability seems like a justifiable a reason to have World Cup hosting duties taken away.

they look incredible Kate!

German soccer federation official wants World Cup boycott considered because of Trump A German soccer federation executive committee member says it’s time to consider a World Cup boycott because of the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump.

A German soccer federation executive committee member says it's time to consider a World Cup boycott because of the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump.

this now also brings the number of ACL injuries in the #ALeagueWomen up to 8 so far this season…

bsky.app/profile/aust...

deeply fond memories of sitting in the stands in Montpellier watching her equalise for the Matildas v Brazil at the 2019 WWC. an immense player.

'We're tough bitches': Matilda Chloe Logarzo wants to leave a different kind of football legacy After taking time away from football to discover herself, the Matilda is now a Rainbow Ambassador for Sydney WorldPride and an advocate for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in sport.

sitting down with Chloe Berryhill a few years ago for this story on LGBTQIA+ Pride is still one of my favourite interviews (and headlines). she’s been through so much yet still gave all of herself to football, it’s heartbreaking to see her career end so swiftly.

www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02...

In this edition of The Far Post Explains, we discuss Naara and the role of mascots in sport with Sarah Walsh and Dr Kasey Symons.

Tune in @espnaustralia.bsky.social and the usual pod spots.

cms.megaphone.fm/channel/esp2...

Teenage girl wearing jersey with Palestinian flag refused entry to Sydney A-League game Exclusive: Girl had to agree to remove Club Deportivo Palestino shirt before being let into Allianz Stadium on Sunday night

Outrageous.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

FIFA select Stats Perform as first official worldwide betting data and betting streaming rights distributor, including exclusive World Cup 2026™ rights FIFA today announced that it has selected sports AI and data pioneer Stats Perform as its first-ever official betting data and streaming rights distributor.

interesting timing. (h/t @afhstewart.bsky.social) inside.fifa.com/tournament-o...

Losing FBref is going to only further hamper independent soccer media (and industry media too!) because no one can afford a Wyscout or StatsBomb account on a newsletter/blog/podcast salary.

this is awful, especially for those of us working in the women’s football space for whom access to historical individual and team data has been almost impossible as orgs haven’t cared enough to make it publicly available. telling stories and verifying information just got harder.

How Africa boycotted the 1966 World Cup The BBC's Piers Edwards explains the little-known story behind the African boycott to the 1966 World Cup, the only World Cup in history to have been snubbed by an entire continent.

On the subject of World Cup boycotts, this is a story which ought to be much better known: why African countries decided not to compete for a place at the 1966 tournament. One of Fifa's most shameful moments, which hardly ever gets a mention.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-a...

last year, I was introduced to a mysterious American man who wanted to know more about the #ALeagueWomen and women's football in Australia.

as it turns out, he represented an overseas consortium looking to expand their portfolio here.

so what happened next?

football360.com.au/my-encounter...

last year, I was introduced to a mysterious American man who wanted to know more about the #ALeagueWomen and women's football in Australia.

as it turns out, he represented an overseas consortium looking to expand their portfolio here.

so what happened next?

football360.com.au/my-encounter...

‘Nothing has hit me that hard’: spate of ACL injuries highlights lack of A-League Women investment | Samantha Lewis Australia’s top women’s football league does not have dedicated data or research to explore why so many players continue to suffer a serious knee injury Cannon Clough didn’t realise what had happened when she first hit the ground. After leaping up to defend a high ball, the Central Coast Mariners defender felt a kick through her leg. As she landed, her foot went in one direction and her body in another. She heard a pop. Continue reading...

‘Nothing has hit me that hard’: spate of ACL injuries highlights lack of A-League Women investment | Samantha Lewis

FIFA can’t even be bothered trying to hide their corruption these days hey