Lebanon’s citizenship offer for FIFA head sparks debate over equal rights Lebanon’s president has announced he will grant citizenship to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, sparking a wave of outrage. Lebanon
Culture Match-fixing probe shakes Turkey's football as referees, executives detained The football scandal expanded after the Turkish Football Federation's suspension of referees and assistants amid a nationwide betting probe. Turkey
NFL star Antonio Brown extradited from Dubai: What to know The US and the UAE do not have an extradition treaty, a factor that affected the proceedings against Binance founder Changpeng Zhao. United Arab Emirates
Maccabi Tel Aviv fans barred from UK soccer game over safety concerns Antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents are on the rise in the UK, with a recent report accusing British authorities of failing to address discrimination. Israel
Qatar scores symbolic victory in soccer win over UAE An unhealthy rivalry between Qatar and the UAE was on display during the AFC Asian Cup semi-finals, with Emirati fans booing the Qatari national anthem and pelting water bottles at the players. United Arab Emirates
Iran’s defeat in Asian Cup sparks heated debate on political culture Iran's national soccer team had to pack its bags and head home from the AFC Asian Cup following their 3-0 defeat against Japan in a match replete with controversial scenes. Iran
Who controls Egypt’s sports scene? The rising monopoly of the Egyptian state-owned advertising and sports marketing agency Presentation Sports over soccer broadcasting rights is raising controversy. Egypt
Afcon soccer tourney gives Egypt chance for glory both on, off field Egypt is getting only a small amount of time to prepare for Afcon 2019, but the major soccer tournament could pay off big time. Egypt
Turkey’s crisis-hit soccer clubs face bitter pills in rescue plan A “rescue” plan is in the making for Turkey’s cash-strapped soccer clubs, but the operation might result in further political control over the soccer industry. Turkey
Uncertainties abound as Iran moves to privatize its two biggest soccer clubs Iran’s Cabinet has given the green light to the privatization of the popular Esteghlal and Persepolis soccer clubs, but from the debts to the losses, the process promises to be rocky at best. Iran
Egyptian authorities go after futsal fields The Egyptian government decided to remove all futsal fields squatting agricultural lands, which raised the ire of the youths whose main outlet is sports. Egypt
Who scored when Iran hand-selected women for historic soccer audience? For some Iranians, the visible female audience at a recent soccer match at Tehran's Azadi stadium was a meaningful win in a long war over allowing women to attend public soccer matches, but others are frustrated at what they consider a publicity stunt. Iran
The politics behind Iranian women's entry to Azadi stadium Iranian women were allowed into Tehran’s Azadi Stadium last week to watch a high-profile soccer match live. A lot of politics were at play to make that happen. Iran
Istanbul’s LGBTQ community finds pride on soccer field LGBTQ visibility has reached an all-time low in Turkey but Atletik Dildoa, an Istanbul-based LGBTQ soccer team, wants to increase it through sports events. Turkey
Israel’s unhealthy mix of sports and politics Israeli politicians love to be seen alongside successful athletes and frequently use athletic success for patriotic-nationalist purposes. Saudi Arabia
Saudi sports minister leaves Egypt’s sports scene The decision of the head of Saudi General Sports Authority Turki al-Sheikh to withdraw from Egyptian sports and sell his club Pyramids Football Club after being insulted by Al-Ahli fans at one of their games sparked controversy in Egypt. Saudi Arabia
