While the world was engrossed in the 2026 World Cup, ICE ramped up its deportation machine, arresting 51,000 people in July, the largest in a single month in DHS history. For the most part, this happened far from World Cup host cities & visiting journalists. abcnews.com/Politics/ice...

ICE arrests hit record high in July as enforcement quietly ramps up

The Department of Homeland Security has been ramping up arrests.

abcnews.com

Demons to some, Angels to others. Amazing Pinhead tifo

“Fuck Seattle” #RCTID

CONCACAF (41 federations) join Uefa to reject Gianni Infantino's proposal.

Statement on behalf of Concacaf and its 41 Member Associations  | Concacaf

Statement on behalf of Concacaf and its 41 Member Associations

concacaf.com

Went on CNN to discuss UEFA's threat to boycott FIFA events after Infantino's brazen, private-equity smash-and-grab & how it would be a crime against joy itself if the 2027 women's World Cup ended up being sacrificed on the altar of FIFA greed.

Jules Boykoff@julesboykoff.bsky.social · 6d ago

Would be more than a bit awkward if two hosts of the 2030 men's World Cup—Portugal & Spain—boycotted the event. And it would be a downright crime against joy if the 2027 women's World Cup was sacrificed on the altar of FIFA greed.

Would be more than a bit awkward if two hosts of the 2030 men's World Cup—Portugal & Spain—boycotted the event. And it would be a downright crime against joy if the 2027 women's World Cup was sacrificed on the altar of FIFA greed.

Nathan Kalman-Lamb@nkalamb.bsky.social · 6d ago

UEFA has just unanimously decided to boycott both men's and women's World Cups over FIFA's attempt to sell the global game to private equity. Damn.

UEFA has just unanimously decided to boycott both men's and women's World Cups over FIFA's attempt to sell the global game to private equity. Damn.

Read @fairsq.bsky.social statement on FIFA's "World Cup sell-off": "No one owns football...The announcement that FIFA plans to sell off its tournaments to private equity should be opposed by Member Associations, as well as clubs, players, & fans across the world." rebootfifa.com/news/reboot-...

Reboot FIFA Campaign Statement on World Cup sell-off - Reboot FIFA

No one owns football. It is the common property of humanity. The announcement that FIFA plans to sell off its tournaments to private equity should be opposed by Member Associations (MAs) of FIFA, as w...

rebootfifa.com

‘Anthropic described the project as “our effort to disruptively scan all the world’s books” in an internal memo, which noted “we do not want it to be known that we are pursuing this project”.’

Eli Valley@elivalley.bsky.social · last wk.

Dystopia www.news.com.au/technology/o...

Went on CNN to talk about the FIFA privatization bombshell, noting that growth for the sake of growth is not only the ideology of the cancer cell, but also the ideology of FIFA under Gianni Infantino. (full interview here: video.snapstream.net/Play/PTH6ELJ...)

@johannamellis.bsky.social on how rightwingers in the US use sports to erase transgender people, casting exclusion as a path to “feminine” motherhood and a white nation. Johanna's advice: We need to believe them when they tell us that.

It’s not just about sports

The Right uses sports to erase transgender people, casting exclusion as a path to “feminine” motherhood and a white nation. We need to believe them when they tell us that.

elevennamedpeople.substack.com

When your private-equity-drenched greed makes Sepp Blatter's greed look downright artisanal by comparison, you know the FIFA greed machine has clicked into an alarmingly higher gear.

Matt Slater@mjslater.bsky.social · last wk.

Gianni Infantino has flooded the zone again. He wants to put all of the money-making bits of FIFA (ie the World Cup) into a new co & then sell 20% to investors. He thinks it will raise $10bn over next 4yrs. I think we can assume hydration breaks are staying. www.nytimes.com/athletic/747...

What rational or financial argument is there to sell off one of the most valuable "products" in the world - that you insist is only going to become more valuable? Why would you sell off ownership in the World Cup? It's not like there are debt issues www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

Will there be a World Cup boycott? What comes next after Infantino’s deal with Trump

Senior figures in European football will discuss a boycott after Gianni Infantino revealed plans to sell off stakes in the World Cup, reports Miguel Delaney, but amid the outrage, will the federations...

independent.co.uk

My Haitian friend was just fired from his job. "They said I don't have a legal status now." This is likely happening to hundreds of thousands of people across this country today. Sick.

#sportswashing I enjoyed the World Cup (not the last 20 minutes of that semi-final though 😢). But it should never have taken place in the US, and @julesboykoff.bsky.social put forward a solid argument as to why not A relatively short, but good, read on why FIFA probably needs abandoning now ⚽️

FIFA greed machine in action: Gianni Infantino reportedly plans to sell stakes in the men’s World Cup to investors (private investment & FIFA's 211 member associations, though FIFA would hold majority control). Infantino as (super-lucrative) WC “commissioner” when (if?) his presidency ends in 2031?

Financial Times@financialtimes.com · last wk.

Fifa plans stake sale in new $20bn commercial vehicle ft.trib.al/SKXrRbq

FIFA can expect subpoenas on the wide range of salient questions that this oversight request outlines if/when Dems take Congress and Raskin chairs the judiciary committee

FairSquare@fairsq.bsky.social · last wk.

Rep. Jamie Raskin @raskin.house.gov the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, has asked FIFA to provide all of its records on its contacts with Trump, his administration and the Trump Organization by August 9, 2026. Big story from @adamcrafton.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/747...

Rep. Jamie Raskin @raskin.house.gov the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, has asked FIFA to provide all of its records on its contacts with Trump, his administration and the Trump Organization by August 9, 2026. Big story from @adamcrafton.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/747...

Infantino requested to appear before House committee over Trump relationship

nytimes.com

A bigger flex would be buying his own personal Amtrak car

Marisa Kabas@marisakabas.bsky.social · last wk.

so much for billionaires fleeing because of zohran

Gianni Infantino isn't the first megalomaniac with a narcissistic personality to run a sporting organization, but he might be the pettiest. His Instagram rant symbolizes his inability to metabolize criticism. Today FIFA is a dictatorial entity that mirrors the despots to whom he shamelessly caters.

Financial Times@financialtimes.com · last wk.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino has accused his critics of being 'consumed by hate' during the World Cup, and brushed aside complaints about the treatment of Iran’s team and the decision to lift a ban on a US player after pressure from President Trump. ft.trib.al/pTBKHt9

Morocco's World Cup ambitions stretch far beyond the pitch, intertwining football with diplomacy, domestic politics and the contested future of Western Sahara. My first for @wired.com: www.wired.me/story/how-mo...

How Morocco Turned Football Into a Tool of Statecraft

The kingdom’s World Cup ambitions stretch far beyond the pitch, intertwining football with diplomacy, domestic politics and the contested future of Western Sahara.

wired.me

Go Mookie Betts & Kike Hernández! Also very cognizant that international players may have felt they couldn’t say no. But steer clear of him if you have the ability!

Jules Boykoff@julesboykoff.bsky.social · 2w ago

The Trump Curse is real! (I somehow missed his predication that Argentina would win the 2026 World Cup.) Beware, Los Angeles Dodgers! Your White House visit arrives with a price.

The Trump Curse is real! (I somehow missed his predication that Argentina would win the 2026 World Cup.) Beware, Los Angeles Dodgers! Your White House visit arrives with a price.

Some context regarding Moda Center renovations. The Trail Blazers $600 million request is larger than any recent/planned public contribution to an NBA/NHL arena renovation. It's not "market rate" or even reasonable. What Dundon is demanding is an outlier.

"Hosting major events always gobbles up public resources that could otherwise be directed toward pressing needs, while host cities under pressure to sparkle on camera often violate residents’ rights." My piece for Common Dreams:

LA Must Stop Bidding for Mega Sports Events | Common Dreams

​The city’s FIFA World Cup experience raises questions about the costs and benefits of hosting.

commondreams.org

Well, you had a good run, Dodgers, but you just invited the Trump Curse upon yourselves. No three-peat for you.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2w ago

Trump pays tribute to the Dodgers: "There's the ballroom and the military facility. Here's the helipad we're building."

Enten on the 67 point swing (!!!) against Israel among Americans: "We're not just talking about the Democratic base anymore. The general electorate has turned against Israel. This is not just a left issue. It's an American issue. The trend line is unbelievable."

Not only did the Dodgers debase themselves and insult their fan base, Trump mixed up Shohei and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Sounds about right. www.latimes.com/sports/dodge...

Dodgers visit Trump at White House to celebrate World Series win

Most of the Dodgers' roster reported to the White House on Thursday, meeting with President Trump to celebrate their 2025 championship despite fan backlash.

latimes.com

We welcomed @julesboykoff.bsky.social back for this week's show to get all his thoughts on the World Cup. We asked Jules if things could have gone better, could they have gone worse, how much more greed and corruption can we take and what can we do about it? shows.acast.com/the-blazing-...

World Cup Review with Jules Boykoff | The Blazing Musket Podcast

Jules Boykoff joins the show to recap the biggest moments around and off the field from the World Cup...

shows.acast.com

"LA Must Stop Bidding for Sports Mega-Events: The city’s FIFA World Cup experience raises questions about the costs & benefits of hosting." By Dr. @ceriannerobertson.bsky.social, an organizer with @nolympicsla.bsky.social for @commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/opinion/la-s...

LA Must Stop Bidding for Mega Sports Events | Common Dreams

​The city’s FIFA World Cup experience raises questions about the costs and benefits of hosting.

commondreams.org