Kosovo, football’s youngest nation, are a win away from the World Cup. But much more is at stake (Gift Article) A country that was not recognised by FIFA 10 years ago is 90 minutes from sport's biggest stage and the symbolism goes far beyond the pitch

10 years ago, football did not recognise Kosovo. Tonight, they can qualify for the World Cup.

A decade of challenges & resistance could bring "the most important day since independence". The symbolism goes beyond the pitch.

Free to read @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/715...

Kosovo, football’s youngest nation, are a win away from the World Cup. But much more is at stake (Gift Article) A country that was not recognised by FIFA 10 years ago is 90 minutes from sport's biggest stage and the symbolism goes far beyond the pitch

10 years ago, football did not Kosovo. Tonight, they can qualify for the World Cup.

A decade of challenges, setbacks & resistance could bring "the most important day since independence". The symbolism goes beyond the pitch.

Free to read @theathleticfc.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/athletic/715...

Welcome to the wild Polish league, where all 18 teams can still win the title... or be relegated

🇵🇱 Welcome to Poland's Ekstraklasa: Europe's craziest league
📉All 18 teams can still win the league...or be relegated
😲 Current leaders finished 15th last season
👀 Relegation zone shocks
📈 Crowds up 50%
🇪🇺 European successes
🎁 Gift article on @theathleticfc.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/athletic/711...

Welcome to the wild Polish league, where all 18 teams can still win the title... or be relegated

🇵🇱 Welcome to Poland's Ekstraklasa: Europe's craziest league
📉All 18 teams can still win the league...or be relegated
😲 Current leaders finished 15th last season
👀 Relegation zone shocks
📈 Crowds up 50%
🇪🇺 European successes
🎁 Gift article on @theathleticfc.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/athletic/711...

The Totally Football Show with James Richardson: Chelsea survive Wrexham, Sunday shocks + Spurs in crisis Jimbo has Daniel Storey, Liam Twomey and Colin Millar for company on FA Cup 5th round weekend.The favourites make it through on Saturday with Max Dowman dazzling for Arsenal and Pep Guardiola ragin...

🚨MONDAY POD!🚨

Join @acjimbo.bsky.social, @danielstorey85.bsky.social, @liamtwomey.bsky.social & @colinmillar.bsky.social for your rundown of the FA Cup weekend 🏆

🫡Saluting Port Vale + Saints
😠Ngumoha - the one that got away for #CFC
😰Spurs in crisis with @jaydmharris.bsky.social

pod.fo/e/3a1ad2

𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍 𝐔𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 📺

Still time to get your questions in for @acjimbo.bsky.social,
@danielstorey85.bsky.social, @liamtwomey.bsky.social & @colinmillar.bsky.social ...

How 'alive and kicking' is the magic of the FA Cup? 🤔

We're on YouTube at 7.30 👉 bit.ly/4biIYad

Thank you for saying so Michiel - glad you enjoyed it!

Ludogorets, the club whose hopes of a world-record 15th straight title hang by a thread (Gift Article) Despite coming from a small city, Ludogorets have won the Bulgarian First League in each of the 14 seasons since being promoted in 2011

Ludogorets have won 14 successive league titles. 🇧🇬

Levski Sofia, who they play tonight, stand in the way of a world record.

How have Ludogorets done it? And is it good or bad for Bulgarian football?

Free to read on @theathleticfc.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/athletic/708...

The Totally Football Show with James Richardson: Vini wonder goal overshadowed on toxic night in Lisbon Jimbo is joined by Charlie Eccleshare, Colin Millar, Tom Wiliams and Seb Stafford-Bloor to discuss an eventful evening in the Champions League play-offs.In Lisbon, Vini Jr scored a wonder goal and ...

🚨WEDNESDAY POD!🚨

@acjimbo.bsky.social, @cdeccleshare.bsky.social, @colinmillar.bsky.social, @tomwfootball.bsky.social & @sebsb.bsky.social after an eventful Tuesday in the Champions League🇪🇺🏆

Featuring Juve's collapse in Istanbul, PSG's comeback in Monaco & a toxic night in Lisbon

pod.fo/e/391e0f

ICE says it will play ‘key part’ in 2026 World Cup security Todd Lyons, ICE’s acting director, was responding to a question from Democrat Nellie Pou before a panel in the House of Representatives.

❗ICE agents will form a “key part” of the security at the 2026 men’s World Cup. “ICE, specifically homeland security investigations, is a key part of the overall security apparatus for the World Cup,” said Todd Lyons, ICE’s acting director. By @colinmillar.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...

Borja Iglesias suffered homophobic abuse for painting his nails. The reaction was overwhelming (Gift Article) Celta Vigo players and thousands of their fans painted their own nails to show solidarity with striker Borja Iglesias after homophobic abuse

After Celta Vigo's Borja Iglesias was subjected to homophobic abuse, including that he painted his nails — his club fought back.

Borja's team-mates and 5,000 fans painted their nails for their next match💅

(Article free to read on @theathleticfc.bsky.social)

www.nytimes.com/athletic/702...

Borja Iglesias suffered homophobic abuse for painting his nails. The reaction was overwhelming (Gift Article) Celta Vigo players and thousands of their fans painted their own nails to show solidarity with striker Borja Iglesias after homophobic abuse

After Celta Vigo's Borja Iglesias was subjected to homophobic abuse, including that he painted his nails — his club fought back.

Borja's team-mates and 5,000 fans painted their nails for their next match💅

(Article free to read on @theathleticfc.bsky.social)

www.nytimes.com/athletic/702...

Specifically is designed for players who were at Argentine clubs on youth contracts but who sign elsewhere before turning pro.

Explaining Argentina’s new youth rule that would have barred Lionel Messi from the national team (Gift Article) The move by the Argentine Football Association (AFA) is designed to protect domestic clubs from losing young players to teams abroad.

Argentina's FA has moved to prevent players receiving international call-ups if they move abroad before first signing a pro contract at an Argentine club. Rule would have stopped Messi playing for Argentina after Barcelona move.

(Link is free for non subscribers)

www.nytimes.com/athletic/699...

China bans 73 people and sanctions 13 clubs in soccer corruption investigation In total, a cumulative total of 72 league points have been docked from 13 clubs across the two divisions of Chinese football.

China's authorities have banned 73 people from football for life and sanctioned 13 clubs following an investigation into corruption.

It means 9 clubs begin the Chinese Super League season on minus points, including last year's top two. @theathleticfc.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/athletic/700...

Yeah is really good and insightful, as is always the case with James' work.

Qarabag, the Champions League disruptors forced to leave their home The Azerbaijani side travel to Liverpool with every chance of reaching the play-offs. Their history is bound up with conflict

Qarabag are this season's Champions League's surprise story.

Liverpool's opponents are from the war-torn Nagorno-Karabkh region. Their Aghdam home has been a ghost-town since 1993. Their story is bound with conflict. For @theathleticfc.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/athletic/699...

Qarabag, the Champions League disruptors forced to leave their home The Azerbaijani side travel to Liverpool with every chance of reaching the play-offs. Their history is bound up with conflict

Qarabag are this season's Champions League's surprise story.

Liverpool's opponents are from the war-torn Nagorno-Karabkh region. Their Aghdam home has been a ghost-town since 1993. Their story is bound with conflict. For @theathleticfc.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/athletic/699...

Football's newest league features eight clubs from seven nations, the first properly cross-border 'domestic' competition in the sport.

Could it set a blueprint for how the game might look in years to come?

📝 @colinmillar.bsky.social

🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/698...

The Totally Football Show with James Richardson: Man United dominate City in the derby, plus the incredible AFCON finale It’s Jimbo, Daniel Storey, Colin Millar and Luis Miguel Echegaray in position after another dramatic weekend of Premier League action.It’s 4 games without a win for Man City as Michael Carrick�...

🚨MONDAY POD!🚨

@acjimbo.bsky.social, @danielstorey85.bsky.social, @colinmillar.bsky.social & Luis Miguel Echegaray on the 🎙️:

🔴Boring Carrick = exciting United
🇸🇳Crazy AFCON scenes with @mahermezahi.bsky.social
🦅Glasner lets loose with @mattwoosie.bsky.social
🫤Spurs' waste of time

pod.fo/e/37b842

Cricket’s T20 World Cup is highlighting tensions on the Indian subcontinent India is co-hosting the 20-team tournament, starting on February 7, but Bangladesh has said it will join Pakistan in not playing there

Bangladesh claim it is not safe for them to play in India during next month’s T20 cricket World Cup.

Pakistan will already play its games in Sri Lanka instead.

@colinmillar.bsky.socialexplains how the geopolitical tensions on the Indian subcontinent are threatening to overshadow the tournament.

Russia may return to international football after four-year absence in new FIFA youth tournament Russia's national teams and domestic clubs have been suspended from FIFA and UEFA competitions since the nation's invasion of Ukraine.

Russia may return to international football after a four-year blanket ban from competitions. FIFA's new under-15 tournament will be "open to all" 211 of its member associations, of which the Russian Football Union remains a member. Story @theathleticfc.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/athletic/689...

The Totally Football Show with James Richardson: Salah lets loose on Liverpool as Villa blow title race wide open Matt Davies-Adams is in the hot seat to pick apart the Premier League weekend with Daniel Storey, Reuben Pinder and Colin Millar.Leeds fight back against Liverpool in a scintillating 3-3 draw at El...

🚨MONDAY POD!🚨

Join @mattdaviesadams.bsky.social, @danielstorey85.bsky.social, @colinmillar.bsky.social & Reuben Pinder after a very newsworthy weekend:

🥊Salah v Slot?
🏆Villa in the title race?
📖The weight of history for Arsenal
🦅Palace go 4th!

pod.fo/e/361c18

Looking forward to this - see you there!

Book | Southbank Centre

Some tickets left for our first live show at the Southbank Centre tonight in London!
Doors are at 19:15, show starts at 19:45!

www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/sta...

DR Congo captain Chancel Mbemba scored a last-minute winner for his nation to beat Cameroon and has now just scored the winning penalty for DR Congo to eliminate Nigeria. Not a bad three days for the centre-back.

It's the language used by the club, not by us, so we're quoting it.

World Cup 2026: Why have so many of the biggest countries not qualified? At least seven of the world's 10 most populous nations have not qualified for the tournament

At least seven of the 10 most populous nations have not qualified for the 2026 World Cup.

In a tournament featuring minnows like Cape Verde (population 525,000), why are so many global powers missing out on football's biggest tournament?

📝 @colinmillar.bsky.social

The Totally Football Show with James Richardson: Ronaldo sees red, England see off Serbia + Nigeria strike Jetting off on this international break with Jimbo are Duncan Alexander, Daniel Storey and Colin Millar.World Cup qualifying is reaching its conclusion with France officially there, Norway all but ...

🚨FRIDAY POD!🚨

@acjimbo.bsky.social, @oilysailor.bsky.social, @danielstorey85.bsky.social & @colinmillar.bsky.social on international duty:

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿What's Tuchel learning?
🇵🇹Ronaldo sees red!
🇳🇬@jaydmharris.bsky.social & the Super Eagles
🇨🇼Could Curaçao qualify?
🇹🇷The Turkish betting scandal

pod.fo/e/352da5

Mexico president pledges to give her first 2026 World Cup ticket to a young woman Claudia Sheinbaum will forego her premium seat for the opening match and give it to a young woman who could otherwise not afford to attend.

Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum has pledged to give up her premium seat for the opening match of the 2026 World Cup to a young woman who could not afford to attend.

More from @colinmillar.bsky.social