Football and integration

Through football, South Sudanese youth forge ahead

With the return of peace after a decade of war, South Sudan's youth national teams qualified for the country's first continental football championships. They are helping forge a stronger national identity and pride. By Lolade Adewuyi

Did LGBTQ rights campaigns in Qatar help or hinder?

Protests by Western activists at the FIFA World Cup may have backfired and sparked a backlash against gay, lesbian and queer communities in Qatar, critics say. By Cathrin Schaer

World Cup semi-final – "We are all Moroccans"

Morocco has taken the 2022 World Cup by storm, with the northwest Africans reaching the semi-finals for the first time in their soccer history. As the knockout match approaches, Birgit Svensson's public viewing report from Baghdad throws a different light on Morocco's recent victories in Qatar

Freedom vs. oppression

"Rebel Game: The Power of Football in the Middle East and the Qatar World Cup", an anthology published by Middle East researchers Jan Busse and Rene Wildangel, takes the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar as its basis for grappling with the socio-political and historical relevance of football in the Middle East. By Mirjam Schmidt

"Captains of Zaatari" – the unshakeable power of dreams

Berlin's annual Human Rights Film Festival closed at the weekend. One entry to the festival was the documentary "Captains of Zaatari". Its Egyptian director Ali El Arabi focuses on young refugees from Syria, who dream of escaping their dismal life in the Zaatari refugee camp with the help of football. Rene Wildangel reports for Qantara.de

Europe's migrants are part of the solution

Migrants are often maligned as being responsible for Europe's problems. Yet their integration is in Europe's interest. Michael Thaidigsmann believes that a long-term vision is overdue

Racists, not missed penalties, are the problem

The final defeat against Italy hurt England – but the racist insults against Saka, Sancho and Rashford were far more painful, revealing the deep rift running through English society. Commentary by Joscha Weber

Mbappe, Lukaku and Co. – Euro players with African heritage

Politics casts a long shadow

This evening, Algeria will play Senegal in Cairo International Stadium in the final of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Joseph Hammond takes a look at how the football championship has unfolded for Egypt and its relevance for the country, which was not originally slated to host the competition at all

Europe's homegrown Turkish ethno-nationalists

According to prominent Turkish sociologist Nilufer Gole, many European countries have failed to integrate their Muslim and Turkish citizens. In interview with Luca Steinmann, Gole argues that this has served to deepen social polarisation in Europe

#MeTwo: "Itʹs a topic for German textbooks"

Mesut Ozil's withdrawal from the German national football team sparked a wide-ranging debate on racism. In an interview with Yalda Zarbakhch, Islam scholar Riem Spielhaus explains where discrimination comes from and how to combat it