The Politics of Sport - Ghosts of Brazil

By Shane Thomas

Let's play a game of word association (a la this scene in Skyfall[1]). I say to you, "Brazil". Your response?

It might not be your first, nor your second, but I'm sure in your top 5 replies would be the word "football"[2]. It's been part of the cultural make-up of Brazil for generations. One could argue that football is the country's greatest export.

World Cup 2014 - And The Winner Is...

By Shane Thomas

When asked to compare the World Cup and the Champions League, commentator Jon Champion opined that the Champions League may be football's gold standard, but the World Cup remains the pinnacle.

So with that in mind, here's a brief rundown (accompanied with ill-advised prognostications) of the teams likely to ascend to the aforementioned pinnacle. So before you ask, no, there will be no look at England in this post.