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Karim Zidan

@karimzidan.com
3.5K followers 149 following 391 posts

Award-winning author and investigative journalist covering the intersection of sports and politics. Pre-order my new book, THE ULTIMATE STRONGMEN, here: www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-…

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Reposted by Karim Zidan
Jules Boykoff @julesboykoff.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Read @karimzidan.com on "The Art of Not Banning Israel" from world soccer: "The Ireland-Israel fixtures expose the hypocrisy of the sport's balancing act on Palestine & the illusion that 'football unites the world'." www.sportspolitika.news/p/ireland-is...
sportspolitika.news
The Art of Not Banning Israel
The Ireland-Israel fixtures expose the hypocrisy of the sport's balancing act on Palestine and the illusion that “football unites the world.”
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Philip O'Connor @philipoconnor.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
For those who have forgotten: Former Palestine captain Imad Zatara - whose teammates and extended family members have been killed - has asked Irish players, coaches, fans and broadcasters to boycott the games against Israel.
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John Pollock @iamjohnpollock.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
For over four years, Janel Grant has been a name linked to Vince McMahon and his 2024 resignation, with few details known about her history and how she ended up at WWE in 2019 Today, for the first time, Grant speaks with POST Wrestling & Wrestlenomics www.postwrestling.com/2026/09/22/i...
postwrestling.com
In Her Own Words: An Exclusive interview with Janel Grant - POST Wrestling | Podcasts, News, Reviews | WWE AEW NXT NJPW
How the former WWE employee who filed a sex trafficking suit against Vince McMahon reacted to the scandal that unfolded in 2022
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Karim Zidan @karimzidan.com · 18/09/2026
LeBron James was once one of the world’s most outspoken athletes. Now he’s plugging a predictions market and an authoritarian leader My latest for @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/s...
theguardian.com
LeBron James once raged against the machine. Increasingly, he helps prop it up
LeBron James was once one of the world’s most outspoken athletes. Now he’s plugging a predictions market and an authoritarian leader
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Danny Postel @dannypostel.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Whose anti-imperialism? An open letter in solidarity with Iran’s political prisoners drew vitriolic condemnation from parts of the “anti-imperialist” left — but the criticisms are myopic and misplaced, argues Yassin al-Haj Saleh, a former political prisoner in Syria. newlinesmag.com/argument/the...
newlinesmag.com
The Attacks on an Open Letter to Iran’s Political Prisoners Are Misguided
Why should the victims of massacres be expected to stand beside their executioners in the name of anti-imperial resistance?
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Jules Boykoff @julesboykoff.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Read @karimzidan.com on how NFL owners—with Epstein-Files cretin Robert Kraft in the lead—blackballed Macklemore for daring to chant “Free Palestine" while noted Hitler appreciator Kanye West continues to tour in those very same stadiums. www.sportspolitika.news/p/macklemore...
sportspolitika.news
Macklemore, the NFL and the politics of a free Palestine
Led by Patriots owner & Israel supporter Robert Kraft, NFL owners reportedly banded together to blacklist the American rapper over a “Free Palestine’ chant.
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Shireen Ahmed @shireenahmed.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
I had some thoughts about Sydney Sweeney and her recent commercial. This entire debacle has made me see and hear the powerful voices of women in sport. But make me question why we take Sweeney seriously at all. My latest for CBC Sports www.cbc.ca/sports/opini...
cbc.ca
OPINION | Sydney Sweeney has nothing to do with sports. So what is it about her ad that is making us so mad? | CBC Sports
If we start to consider Sydney Sweeney a notable personality in sports then we have really lost the plot.
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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 14/09/2026
NEW PODCAST 🎙️ @karimzidan.com joins me to discuss the fascinating world of Egyptian football We cover: 🗣️ Football and Egyptian national awakening 📣 Ultras 🇪🇬 National side 🏟️ Groundhopping Download/listen (Spotify) open.spotify.com/episode/2uj5... ...or wherever you get your podcasts 🎧
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Karim Zidan @karimzidan.com · 15/09/2026
NFL owners, led by Robert Kraft, banded together to blackball Macklemore over a “Free Palestine’ chant. Meanwhile, raging antisemite and Hitler lover Kanye West is touring the same stadiums. This was never about antisemitism www.sportspolitika.news/p/macklemore...
sportspolitika.news
Macklemore, the NFL and the politics of a free Palestine
Led by Patriots owner & Israel supporter Robert Kraft, NFL owners reportedly banded together to blacklist the American rapper over a “Free Palestine’ chant.
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Bradford William Davis @bwd.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
The Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, an expansive but controversial overhaul of fight sports rules, has a hearing with the Ted Cruz-chaired Senate Commerce Committee next week. @karimzidan.com has a really good breakdown of Dana White's comprehensive lobbying front
sportspolitika.news
Inside Dana White and TKO’s Lobbying Effort to Reshape Boxing
Ari Emanuel, Dana White, and their allies are cashing in their lobbying chips as they seek to gain support for the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, which would fundamentally reshape boxing.
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Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Few rightly recognize one of the most important and pernicious impacts of 9/11: how it changed our society’s very understanding and relationship to facts and truth. My new @wired.com essay: www.wired.com/story/conspi...
wired.com
How 9/11 Made Everyone a Conspiracy Theorist
Crackpot theories were once the stuff of shortwave radio, but September 11 unleashed the Age of Alex Jones.
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Karim Zidan @karimzidan.com · 11/09/2026
Grateful to @aselliaas.bsky.social for translating my latest on Saudi Arabia's crumbling sports empire
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Karim Zidan @karimzidan.com · 09/09/2026
Barnes & Noble is running a "25% off all pre-orders" promotion starting Wednesday, Sep. 9 and running through Friday, Sep. 11. Now is your chance to pre-order THE ULTIMATE STRONGMEN. www.sportspolitika.news/p/ufc-sports...
sportspolitika.news
Pre-order my new book: THE ULTIMATE STRONGMEN
Wondering how the UFC evolved from a fringe combat sport into one of the most influential cultural and political institutions in America? Do I have a book for you!
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Reposted by Karim Zidan
giri nathan @girinathan.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
at the intersection of broader disconcerting trends—everything is phone, everything is gambling, and nobody knows how to be around each other in public—lies the 2026 U.S. Open
defector.com
The State Of The U.S. Open Is The State Of Us | Defector
It’s being shouted from all corners: The U.S. Open has become an overcrowded, overpriced circus awash in influencers, aspirational influencers, corporate stooges, drunken buffoons, brand activations, ...
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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 10/09/2026
Dropping overnight UK time Sunday/Monday 🎙️ @karimzidan.com joins me on the podcast to discuss the fascinating world of Egyptian football 🇪🇬 From the roots of the game, to the darkness of Port Said, to the joy of the 2026 World Cup, and more. Sub/catch up wherever you get your podcasts... Taster:
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Karim Zidan @karimzidan.com · 10/09/2026
Saudi Arabia spent billions to secure its place as a global powerhouse in sports and entertainment. The Iran war lifted the facade. My latest: www.sportspolitika.news/p/saudi-arab...
sportspolitika.news
Saudi Arabia bet big on sports. Then came the war.
Saudi Arabia spent billions to secure its place as a global powerhouse in sports and entertainment. The Iran war lifted the facade.
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Snowden St. @snowden.st · 09/09/2026
I am really excited for this book.
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Karim Zidan @karimzidan.com · 09/09/2026
Barnes & Noble is running a "25% off all pre-orders" promotion starting Wednesday, Sep. 9 and running through Friday, Sep. 11. Now is your chance to pre-order THE ULTIMATE STRONGMEN. www.sportspolitika.news/p/ufc-sports...
sportspolitika.news
Pre-order my new book: THE ULTIMATE STRONGMEN
Wondering how the UFC evolved from a fringe combat sport into one of the most influential cultural and political institutions in America? Do I have a book for you!
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Reposted by Karim Zidan
Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 07/09/2026
The attacks on trans athletes continue, and I’ve been on this beat for nearly a decade. If you’d like to support the work of an independent trans journalist so that our voices can continue to cover our issues, please consider a paid subscription to my newsletter: www.thefrankiedlc.news/upgrade
thefrankiedlc.news
Home | Out of Your League
Dispatches from the intersection of queer sports and pop culture.
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Café Fútbol @cafefutbol.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Tan atinado @karimzidan.com como siempre.
wired.me
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.
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Defector @defector.com · 05/08/2026
If your winning issue is trans women in sports, and you're struggling to uncover trans women in any league that anybody has ever heard of, then how do you keep trans athletes at the top of people's minds? Answer: You invent them. defector.com/the-right-ha...
defector.com
The Right Has Created Their Perfect Trans Athlete | Defector
A lot of people in and around the WNBA are talking about trans women. In the aftermath of Indiana Fever role player Sophie Cunningham’s negative comments about trans people playing sports in an ESPN…
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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 05/08/2026
This is rough but I think it talks about a lot of what is missing from the Cunningham/WNBA discourse. Namely, that trans people are not hypothetical thought experiments. They are real people who are being genocided by our government & any coverage that doesn't center that reality misses the mark.
thefrankiedlc.news
the answer is always to disavow it
Would you let the Proud Boys march in and sit courtside?
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Karim Zidan @karimzidan.com · 02/08/2026
I joined Germany's public broadcaster DW yesterday to discuss the rebellion FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing and whether Donald Trump can save him www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn8z...
youtube.com
FIFA in revolt: Can Infantino's Trump connection save him? | DW News
YouTube video by DW News
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Alex Shephard @alexshephard.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
I wrote about the latest idiocy from Gianni Infantino newrepublic.com/article/2137...
newrepublic.com
What Gianni Infantino Learned From Donald Trump
The FIFA president’s plan to sell off a stake of the World Cup suggests he’s emulating his hero.
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Michael Mirer @michaelmirer.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Women's American Football is very famously a thing.
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Karim Zidan @karimzidan.com · 24/07/2026
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...
wired.me
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.
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Ben Rothenberg @benrothenberg.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Breaking news story at Bounces: Following cultural momentum around anti-trans pushes in sports, the WTA has enacted a new policy that will require *all* players to undergo genetic sex testing in order to continue playing on WTA Tour. Read at Bounces: www.benrothenberg.com/p/wta-requir...
benrothenberg.com
Breaking: WTA to Require Genetic Sex Testing for All Players
Following cultural tides, the women's tennis tour is mandating a strict new eligibility requirement.
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shauna @goldengateblond.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
is there a pulitzer for photo captions because if so @theguardian.com just won it
Gianni Infantino carefully explains to Donald Trump that he is not part of the spanish national team.
Photograph: Javier García/Shutterstock
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Karim Zidan @karimzidan.com · 20/07/2026
Can always count on Drake to take an L
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Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
A perfect encapsulation of what this tournament has felt like
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Bouba's Delivery Service @fernmonkey.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Infantino rattling a bag of treats
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Karim Zidan @karimzidan.com · 19/07/2026
Infantino trying to drag Trump out of Spain's celebration makes it all the more perfect
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Tariq Panja @tariqpanja.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
A fitting emblem of that game.
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Karim Zidan @karimzidan.com · 19/07/2026
These are the same people who claimed the Egyptians were sore losers 🙄
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Jules Boykoff @julesboykoff.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Red card couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy [saracasm]. Enzo Fernández is notorious for his racism & transphobia.
Screen shot that reads: Enzo Fernandez, currently with Chelsea in London, after the national team’s victory in the Copa America held in the U.S. (following the final game against Colombia in Miami). The video features a song that ends when someone on the team bus says, “Cut the live.” This action suggests an awareness that the song was highly inappropriate and shouldn’t be shared on social media.
The song itself is a blatant display of transphobia and racism in varying degrees. The full lyrics state: “Listen, pass the ball: They play for France, but they’re from Angola.” The song goes on to describe French star Kylian Mbappe as a “cometravas,” a slang term that refers to someone who has sex with transgender people, before returning to its initial theme: “Their mother is from Cameroon, their father from Nigeria, but their passports say French.”
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Tariq Panja @tariqpanja.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Fair to say this game won’t be winning over many converts to the sport yet. Reminder that this is the longest World Cup in history. Teams have been on the road for about 7 weeks now. Tournament running to 39 days (plus prep time)
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 19/07/2026
In 2007, the Argentine soccer legend Lionel Messi was photographed with Lamine Yamal, an infant who would grow up to become a star for Spain’s national team. Joan Monfort, the freelance photographer behind the viral images, tells the story of the players’ first meeting.
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Karim Zidan @karimzidan.com · 17/07/2026
The World Cup is a reflection of society — its divisions, anxieties and conspiracies. So with cries of malfeasance over referee decisions, Fifa actions and even Argentina’s run, the tournament becomes a mirror of the world that watches it My latest: www.theguardian.com/football/202...
theguardian.com
VAR ‘fixes’, AI slop and perpetual outrage: the World Cup in the age of conspiracy | Karim Zidan
With cries of malfeasance and injustice over refereeing decisions, Fifa actions and even Argentina’s run, the tournament is a mirror of a theory-pilled society
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
An excellent watch/listen, as anticipated, with @julesboykoff.bsky.social and @karimzidan.com. On the dark shadows of the World Cup and of being a football fan amidst corruption and sportswashing, and how to reconcile that. open.substack.com/pub/karimzid...?
open.substack.com
The World Cup's Long Shadow w/ Jules Boykoff
The World Cup brought the world together. It also exposed FIFA’s fraught empire. I spoke to Jules Boykoff about these tensions, and whether anything can be done to reform football's overlords.
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Jules Boykoff @julesboykoff.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Trump describes "probably the most unforgettable moment" of the World Cup: when he called FIFA's Gianni Infantino to pressure him to overturn the USMNT red card. Infantino just stands there smiling while Trump bloviates, heaping praise on him: "Gianni made yet another of his many good decisions."
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Karim Zidan @karimzidan.com · 18/07/2026
Argentina's in the World Cup final. It is also the tournament's villain. VAR issues, an investigation & viral claims that the fix was in sparked backlash But the conspiracies aren't unique to football—they're a reflection of society itself, for better or worse www.theguardian.com/football/202...
theguardian.com
VAR ‘fixes’, AI slop and perpetual outrage: the World Cup in the age of conspiracy | Karim Zidan
With cries of malfeasance and injustice over refereeing decisions, Fifa actions and even Argentina’s run, the tournament is a mirror of a theory-pilled society
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 18/07/2026
Prediction market users are poised to make the World Cup the largest gambling event in history, analysts said. When Argentina and Spain take the field on Sunday for the final game, more than $5.55 billion will be riding on the winner on Polymarket and Kalshi. trib.al/ycfgRtu
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Romain Molina @romain-molina.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
The other side of the United States and the World Cup www.theguardian.com/football/202...
theguardian.com
‘Where did they go?’: homeless people feel force of America’s brutality in World Cup clean-up
Fifa says football brings the world together but the unhoused in Atlanta feel targeted and completely excluded from the tournament
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David Storey @davidstoreygeog.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
@karimzidan.com on a World Cup of conspiracy theories and perpetual outrage www.theguardian.com/football/202...
theguardian.com
VAR ‘fixes’, AI slop and perpetual outrage: the World Cup in the age of conspiracy | Karim Zidan
With cries of malfeasance and injustice over refereeing decisions, Fifa actions and even Argentina’s run, the tournament is a mirror of a theory-pilled society
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Jules Boykoff @julesboykoff.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Really enjoyed this conversation with @karimzidan.com for his excellent Sports Politika website. Ahead of the World Cup final, we discussed our highs & lows for the tournament as well as how to create a more just world football system moving forward.
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Andreas Selliaas @aselliaas.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Vår mann i USA, @samindrakunti.bsky.social rapporterer fra Trump Tower. På en bli-kvalm-skala, hvor plasserer du denne FIFA-seansen? VM-avslutning i Trump Tower: – FIFA har normalisert MAGA idrettspolitikk.no/2026/07/18/v...
idrettspolitikk.no
VM-avslutning i Trump Tower: – FIFA har normalisert MAGA - Idrettspolitikk
New York (Idrettspolitikk.no): Donald Trump og Gianni Infantino har det siste året vært uatskillelige. Og fredag, to dager før VM-finalen, kom et foreløpig crescendo for Infantino. Da var han vertskap...
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Stanis Elsborg @staniselsborg.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
A hard-hitting op-ed by the US Soccer Vice President, taking aim at FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump. www.theguardian.com/football/202...
theguardian.com
Infantino’s Faustian bargain with Trump has stained football’s biggest stage
Gianni Infantino sought influence with Donald Trump. Instead, Fifa’s president has entangled football in politics and wounded the game’s credibility
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Karim Zidan @karimzidan.com · 18/07/2026
Argentina's in the World Cup final. It is also the tournament's villain. VAR issues, an investigation & viral claims that the fix was in sparked backlash But the conspiracies aren't unique to football—they're a reflection of society itself, for better or worse www.theguardian.com/football/202...
theguardian.com
VAR ‘fixes’, AI slop and perpetual outrage: the World Cup in the age of conspiracy | Karim Zidan
With cries of malfeasance and injustice over refereeing decisions, Fifa actions and even Argentina’s run, the tournament is a mirror of a theory-pilled society
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