Sporting Intelligence

As England prepare to face Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals, a brief recap of the animus between the two nations, not least an actual war and the Hand of God

The former chairman and owner of Chelsea, Leeds, Wigan and Oldham has died at the age of 94, and was arguably the last "old school" owner of a top-fight English club

Sam Kunti's latest dispatch from the World Cup investigates prediction markets, FIFA's latest amoral money-making wheeze. We also look at England's chances of the last 4.

I said no to about £60,000 of gambling sponsorships in the first 10 years of sportingintelligence.com. The money is bigger now, but it's still a "No". Here's why

Sporting Intelligence's roving reporter at the World Cup, Sam Kunti, celebrates a nation's birthday with his latest dispatch from America, where Becks is omnipresent

I’ve “ghosted” columns for dozens of sports stars in three decades in journalism, mainly in football but also in tennis, rugby, cricket, golf and sailing. Here’s how it works...

The annual fee at the All England Club is remarkably cheap, but unless you're a royal, top player or mix in the right circles, you'll have a hard time getting in

Unauthorised use of private jets nearly got Infantino booted out within months of taking office in 2016. Now it's a routine part of his travel arrangements

Sporting Intelligence's roving reporter at the World Cup, Sami Kunti, dives into some of the scandals at the tournament, and witnesses Scotland's pain in Miami

As England prepare to play the Black Stars at the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday, an update of a 2025 investigation explores the decline of an African football powerhouse

Mauricio Pochettino's team have excelled in their first two matches of WC2026, already guaranteed to top Group D. Roger Pielke assesses their tournament chances.

There has been scepticism that reported crowds in the USA, Canada and Mexico have been accurate. but 2026 will obliterate any previous tournament attendance

New York was, at best, indifferent to the opening matches of the World Cup, even the USA's stirring win in their first game. Now the NBA finals are done, will that change?

* The English league pyramid has provided the most players to every men's World Cup since 1998. More than 200 players at this summer's WC are contracted to English clubs

Clearing out my house after 20 years ahead of a move this summer, I've chanced upon a treasure trove of childhood football memories.

Sam Kunti's definitive book about Brazil in 1970 is now out in paperback: Carlos Alberto, Pelé, Gérson, Jairzinho, Rivellino, Tostão et al - a team like no other, before or since

With this summer’s men’s soccer World Cup just weeks away, and with the 48 squads for the competing nations being revealed thick and fast, I thought it was timely to re-publish a piece from the oringinal Sporting Intellligence website from 2015, about the history of the word “soccer”, which is in fact quintessentially English.

As a Sportingintelligence reader, you like quirky stuff alongside big investigations, nerdy stats and a broader look at sport. Here's a tip where to find more of the same...

More than 13 years after a huge investigation into a man who hoaxed newspapers, football clubs and Sky News, the follow-up: how he hoaxed lawyers and Whitehall

Never heard of Rob Beal, aka "the man who hoaxed The Times"? This look back in time to a big story I wrote in 2013 might surprise you.