Jules Boykoff

Jules Boykoff is a professor of political science at Pacific University and the author of two books on the politics of soccer—Red Card: The 2026 World Cup, Sportswashing, and the FIFA Greed Machine and Kicking, a memoir—as well as six books on the Olympics, most recently What Are the Olympics For?

Gavin Bazunu during the Sky Bet Championship 2026–27 match between Norwich City and Bolton Wanderers on September 20, 2026, in Norwich, England.

Irish Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu’s Refusal to Play Against Israel Puts Him on the Right Side of History Irish Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu’s Refusal to Play Against Israel Puts Him on the Right Side of History

Bazunu’s decision raises the perennial question: Why is a country that is currently committing a genocide allowed to compete in the first place?

Sep 28, 2026 / Jules Boykoff and Dave Zirin

Team Spain celebrates winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 19, 2026, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Trump’s Reverse Midas Touch Even Got the World Cup Trump’s Reverse Midas Touch Even Got the World Cup

Of course fans roundly booed the president at the World Cup final: Damaging the integrity of anything he touches is true to the Trump brand.

Jul 20, 2026 / Dave Zirin and Jules Boykoff

During the World Cup, Kalshi became the fourth-most-downloaded app at the Apple App Store.

The World Cup Meets Casino Capitalism The World Cup Meets Casino Capitalism

FIFA’s new prediction market partners cast a shadow over the people’s game.

Jul 7, 2026 / Jules Boykoff

A general view as the screen displays a “Stop the Hate” and “No Racism” message during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group C match between Brazil and Haiti at Philadelphia Stadium on June 19, 2026, in Philadelphia.

The World Cup of Racism The World Cup of Racism

The Trump administration has a message for every soccer fan on the planet: The US government is unapologetically bigoted.

Jun 25, 2026 / Jules Boykoff

Raucous Protest Is Coming to the Joyless World Cup

Raucous Protest Is Coming to the Joyless World Cup Raucous Protest Is Coming to the Joyless World Cup

As Trump and FIFA turn soccer’s biggest stage into a showcase for authoritarianism, activists are fighting back.

Jun 12, 2026 / Jules Boykoff and Dave Zirin

President Donald Trump poses for a selfie with Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw on December 5, 2025, in Washington, DC.

2 FIFA Rulings on Israel, 1 Familiar Deference to MAGA 2 FIFA Rulings on Israel, 1 Familiar Deference to MAGA

The world’s soccer governing body reminded fans what its theoretical commitment to “neutrality” means in practice: siding with the genocidaire.

Mar 24, 2026 / Jules Boykoff and Dave Zirin

Team USA poses for after winning the men’s gold-medal hockey match between Canada and the United States on February 22, 2026, in Milan, Italy.

The Ugly Underbelly of the US Men’s Hockey Victory The Ugly Underbelly of the US Men’s Hockey Victory

The real Olympic heroes were the athletes who stood up for each other—and against Trump.

Feb 23, 2026 / Dave Zirin and Jules Boykoff

People take part in a demonstration against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games in Milan, Italy, on January 31, 2026.

Get Ready for This Year’s Undemocratic, Debt-Ridden, and Mobster-Infused Winter Olympics    Get Ready for This Year’s Undemocratic, Debt-Ridden, and Mobster-Infused Winter Olympics   

ICE thugs in the streets, Mafia meddling, and billions in waste—seems like the Games are off to a great start.

Feb 5, 2026 / Jules Boykoff and Dave Zirin

Displaced Palestinian youths take part in a training session at the Aida Refugee Camp's football pitch, next to the separation wall outside Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, on December 16, 2025, a few weeks after an Israeli military decision to demolish the field.

What It Took to Save a Soccer Field in Palestine What It Took to Save a Soccer Field in Palestine

Europe’s governing soccer body saves a pitch in the West Bank—but is it only because the Swiss Parliament is threatening to pull its tax exemption over its inclusion of Israel?

Jan 22, 2026 / Jules Boykoff and Dave Zirin

President Donald Trump receives the FIFA Peace Prize from Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 5, 2025, in Washington, DC.

FIFA Kisses Up to Trump With a “Peace Prize” FIFA Kisses Up to Trump With a “Peace Prize”

With the world’s soccer fans watching, Gianni Infantino, the great toady to the globe’s oligarchs, handed a made-up award to the increasingly violent US president.

Dec 5, 2025 / Dave Zirin and Jules Boykoff

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