culture
77 articles in this section
The Empty Seats of Doha: Iran's World Cup Ticket Fiasco Reveals Political Fault Lines
A few hundred empty seats in a stadium of 40,000 might seem a minor blemish. Yet the scramble to fill them this week tells a story far beyond football. As Fifa rushed to resolve the sudden revocation ...

The Wave and the Wound: Mexicans Chase a Record, but at What Cultural Cost?
A surfer off the coast of Oaxaca drops into a swell the size of a cathedral. The crowd on the beach holds its breath. Th...

A Diplomatic Own Goal: Iran’s World Cup Squad Arrives in Mexico as Visa Row Highlights the Human Cost of Politics
It was meant to be a moment of national pride. Iran’s national football team, a symbol of hope and resilience, touched d...









































































