Free Republic

The Iranian women’s national soccer team made quite the statement on Monday night during the opening match of the Women’s Asian Cup, as they refused to sing while their national anthem played over the speakers at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast. The players were in their customary line before their match against South Korea, when the Iranian national anthem began to play. The women, looking straight ahead and barely moving, were stoic as it appeared there were jeers from the crowd. Later, applause erupted from those in attendance following the 3-0 South Korea victory. Iran’s manager, Marziyeh Jafari,...

Saturday’s major military attack on Iran by U.S. and Israeli forces is impacting everything from international diplomacy to the game of soccer. The move by President Trump to strike multiple targets in Iran comes just months before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. All three nations automatically qualify as hosts. Iran also qualified for the World Cup. One of the best teams in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the Iran National Team finished atop Group A in the AFC World Cup Qualifying competition, sending them through at the first time of...

The 40-year-old man was stabbed by his wife after a misunderstanding while watching a Napoli game at their home, according to Italian media. A Napoli supporter was allegedly stabbed by his wife at their home after an argument broke out when he lost his temper while watching a match on TV, Italian media reported. The 40-year-old became frustrated as his side lost 2-1 to Atalanta in Serie A on Sunday, according to L'Unione Sarda daily newspaper. He reportedly shouted insults at the TV after a controversial VAR decision overturned a penalty that had been awarded to Napoli. The man's 35-year-old...

@MarioNawfal SICK OF STARMER'S DYSTOPIAN NIGHTMARE? HERE COMES RESTORE BRITAIN Britain is being run into the ground, and now a new party is saying it out loud. Restore Britain is calling out weak leadership, broken institutions, and a political class that looks after itself while everyone else pays the price. They’re pushing low taxes, small government, secure borders, national pride, traditional Christian principles, free speech, and direct democracy. Source: @RupertLowe10

Israeli journalist Rina Mazliah set off a firestorm on Thursday when she said during an Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation-Kan Reshet Bet broadcast that she was "disgusted" by a soccer player who recited "Shema Yisrael" (Hear o' Israel - Deuteronomy 6:4) verse while taking the field. "I see at soccer games, every player that takes the field goes 'Shema Yisrael'... It's disgusting. I mean, why 'Shema Yisrael' when you take the field? It's disgusting, Akiva, disgusting. Go in, play, why 'Shema Yisrael' in the middle of a soccer game?" Matzliah said. The remarks garnered fierce reactions on the net, with many...

Calls are growing on social media for international soccer fans to boycott the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is being hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Newsweek reached out to FIFA for comment via email. Why It Matters While there have been some World Cup boycott pushes in recent months, some over the cost of tickets, there are now renewed calls due to growing unrest, immigration fears, and the Trump administration's moves on the international stage—including President Donald Trump saying on Thursday night that the U.S. is “going to start now hitting land” and targeting drug cartels "running...

VIDEOIn 2026 the FIFA World Cup Soccer arrives in the USA. That will be the time when native born Americans PRETEND (if they are polite) to be interested in Soccer or what the rest of the world calls Football. Watching these Brits suffering extreme meltdowns over absurdly (and typically) low scoring soccer games is amusing to watch. It has convinced me that growing up watching either American football vs soccer somehow wires your brain differently. The way soccer flows with its absurdly low scores just does NOT appeal to Americans who expect higher scores in a game that flows entirely...

Fans have accused FIFA of a "monumental betrayal" after the latest ticket prices for the World Cup began circulating Thursday. The governing body allocates 8% of tickets to national associations for games involving their team to sell to the most loyal fans. And a list published by the German soccer federation revealed prices ranged from $180 to $700 for varying group stage games. The lowest price for the final was $4,185, and the highest was $8,680.

Teams from two Islamic countries playing in one of America’s wokest cities on the anniversary of Stonewall – what could go wrong?FIFA looks set to face its first major scandal of the 2026 World Cup – if you don’t count the exorbitant cost of the tickets, that is. The Egyptian FA has made a formal request for the cancellation of an LGBTQ+ celebration planned to take place at their Group G game against Iran on June 26 in Seattle. The game roughly coincides with the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots of 1969. The Seattle Pride match committee are planning to...

Iran and Egypt have complained to FIFA after Seattle designated their World Cup game as a ‘Pride Match’. The fixture, between two countries in which homosexuality is outlawed, is meant to honour the LGBTQ+ community in the liberal city and the clash was pencilled in before it was known which sides would be involved. Due to take place on June 26, it coincides with Seattle’s Pride Weekend. However, the federations of each Muslim country have now contacted FIFA to express their opposition, in what is a growing, diplomatic incident more than six months out from tournament kick-off. Iranian Football Federation...

DUBAI, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Fifty-five Iranians deported from the United States will return to their home country in the coming days, Iran's foreign ministry said on Sunday, in the second such deportation under President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. In September, officials said the U.S. had identified about 400 Iranians to be deported, with a first flight carrying 120 people making its way to Tehran via Qatar's capital. "In the coming days, about 55 nationals will return to Iran...This is the second group being returned to Iran in the latest months," Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, adding that...

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Soccer may be the world’s most popular sport, but in the U.S., its rise to mainstream status has been anything but smooth. Despite steady growth, the game still faces hurdles that have slowed its acceptance, from cultural disconnects and stiff competition from other major sports to challenges in youth development and infrastructure. While more Americans are embracing the sport, breaking into the country’s deeply rooted sports culture remains an uphill battle. The question isn’t whether soccer can thrive in the U.S., but what it will take to finally cement its place among the nation’s biggest sports. 16. Resistance to Adopting...

Members of the Football Association of Ireland voted overwhelmingly on Saturday for its board to request that Uefa immediately suspends the Israel Football Association from European competitions. A resolution passed by FAI members cited alleged violations by Israel’s FA of two provisions of Uefa statutes: its failure to implement and enforce an effective anti-racism policy and Israeli clubs playing in occupied Palestinian territories without the consent of the Palestinian Football Association.

In A Nutshell The 13% threshold: In this study of 52 Brazilian pros, players with 13% body fat or higher covered less distance on an endurance shuttle run test that mimics game intensity One measurement matters most: A simple abdominal skinfold reading of 20 mm or more showed the strongest link to reduced aerobic performance—faster to check than complex fitness testing Sprints vs. stamina: Body fat correlated strongly with endurance but showed weak connections to jumping and short sprints, suggesting it affects sustained running more than explosive power Use with caution: These numbers came from pre-season testing in second-division Brazilian...

She's Aguska Mnich, a Polish freestyle football champion who's won the world title 6 times and holds 16 Guinness records. Impressive skills!

The Home Office was told last week that a ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attending a football match in Birmingham was being considered, a police unit has said. On Thursday, Aston Villa said the city's Safety Advisory Group (SAG) - which advises the council on whether to issue safety certificates - decided that fans of the Israeli club should not be permitted to attend the Europa League fixture on 6 November. The Home Office had been briefed that restrictions on visiting fans might be imposed, but the BBC understands officials were not informed about the final decision. Authorities are...

Fans of the Israeli soccer team Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer are prohibited from attending a Europa League game in Birmingham, England on Nov. 6. The team's English opponent, Aston Villa, who is hosting the game, made the announcement Thursday, citing safety concerns. Last year Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were attacked in Amsterdam at a game against Ajax. "The club are in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision," Aston Villa said in a...

Football is more than just a game; for many, it's a matter of national pride and local identity. Supporting your home team is often seen as a fundamental rule. But what happens when a prominent nationalist figure asks his followers to cheer for a foreign club against an English side? That's the question currently engulfing nationalist Tommy Robinson, who has sparked outrage by pledging his allegiance to Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv over Aston Villa. A Patriot's Puzzling Jersey Swap The controversy began with a defiant post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Robinson shared pictures of himself smiling...

A spokesman for the British government said on Friday that the government is "working with policing and other partners" to ensure a soccer game between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv can go ahead next month "with all fans present". "No one should be stopped from watching a football game simply because of who they are," the spokesperson said, as quoted by Sky News. "The government is working with policing and other partners to do everything in our power to ensure this game can safely go ahead, with all fans present. We are exploring what additional resources and support are...