Latest
Freebizarre episode
The Atomic Bowl: The untold story of the American football game played at Ground Zero in Nagasaki
A new documentary unearths the bizarre and chilling tale of the American military’s New Years’ game on the site on which they dropped the bomb.
Yesterday
31st December 2025
The long game
'It can be seen a lot in the squad' - Furlong hails Lancaster influence ahead of Connacht reunion
This week
28th December 2025 - 1st January 2026
Last week
21st December 2025 - 27th December 2025
Political Football
Rip-off ticket prices, ICE raids, moving fixtures: What to expect from the MAGA World Cup
We look ahead to some of the storylines to expect from next summer’s World Cup in North America.
essay
What I think about when I think about Rory McIlroy in 2025
Assessing the making and the legacy of McIlroy’s extraordinary 12 months.
Comment
Villa's amazing run looks unsustainable while United are genuinely getting better
Villa are giving a historically emphatic two-fingers to Expected Goals, while Man United are onto the right thing with Ruben Amorim. They just need to get better players.
Last month
December 2025
column
Best Heckle, WTF moment and Ronaldo red card of the year - The alternative 2025 awards
It’s time to look back on 2025 with the highly prestigious The 42 Alternative Awards of the Year.
column
The proof that America has conquered football - Welcome to the Rip-Off World Cup
Here is another event separating us all according to the great hierarchy of wealth, telling many of us that, actually, this World Cup just isn’t for you.
Sponsored
The best bets and welcome bonuses for the pre-Christmas weekend of sport
Gambling News
Dec 21
Explainer
Hoping to go to the World Cup? Here's how to try to get tickets
Fifa’s latest ticket sales window opens today and runs until 13 January.
AnalysisLiverpool
Liverpool show signs of arduous progress against Inter - but they have an Isak problem
This was another wretched outing for the club’s record signing: technically sloppy, physically overwhelmed, and just generally looking diffident and confused.
AnalysisComment
Salah knows his time at Liverpool is over, and he is right to say it is not his fault
For the first time, Liverpool’s self-interest does not align with Salah’s. In these scenarios, the player is always the fall guy.
Golden Girl
Ellen Walshe makes history with 200m butterfly gold at the European Short Course championships
Walshe stormed home to gold with a stirring finish.
Cyrus Christie
‘I’m enjoying football again’ - Ireland’s forgotten defender on injuries, racial abuse, and chasing promotion dream
column
From the GAA to World Rugby to Fifa - Stop changing the formats of our great competitions
The formats of virtually of our biggest events have changed radically in the last few years – we have to call a halt.
Last year
2025
making his name
Charlie Smyth kicks 56-yard field goal in impressive NFL debut
Smyth also executed an onside kick as the Saints’ comeback against Miami fell just short.
AnalysisComment
Even with only a draw, Chelsea mark themselves out as real title contenders
For Arsenal this was a good result even with the odds in their favour – for Chelsea this was an opportunity missed even from adversity.
column
Revealed*: Cristiano Ronaldo's letter to Fifa explaining why World Cup ban should be quashed
*Letter may be the product of the author’s imagination.
Off the Mark
Evan Ferguson scores first Serie A goal as Roma go clear at the top
Ferguson got off the mark on his return from injury in a 3-1 win away to Cremonese.
Analysisget frank about it
Frank's cowardly Tottenham approach cannot go on
Tottenham offered nothing in a comprehensive defeat to their biggest rivals.
Welcome to Hell
'Find every advantage' - Hallgrimsson calls for Aviva away fans to be moved further from the pitch
The Irish boss also said he and the FAI will sit down to discuss a contract renewal ‘sooner or later.’
the Heimir republic
'The most exciting thing is if we win the first game, then we get a home game for the play-off final'
the path is known
Ireland to face Czechia in World Cup play-off
Ireland know their path to the World Cup next summer.
AnalysisCampaign Review
How Hallgrimsson turned it all around - and why he holds all the cards in contract talks
We review Ireland’s wild World Cup qualifying campaign.
what it means
Why are we so happy? The unwritten contract binding Ireland to its mad football team has been restored
Ireland’s success is not in potentially qualifying for the World Cup – it is in showing another generation of Irish people that they too can be carried away by their football team.
