How local politics and nationalism shaped football as we know it today

The sport, which began capturing global imagination just after World War I, has been used as a platform to make political and racial statements and broadcast ethnic identities

The Hungarian government recently passed a law banning all content related to homosexuality in school curricula and television shows for children. To express solidarity with the LGBTQ community, Munich authorities asked for the Union of European Football Association’s (UEFA’s) permission to light the Allianz Arena stadium, where Germany hosted Hungary in a group stage match of the recently concluded UEFA Euro Championship 2020, with rainbow colours.

More often than not, football has made assists for politics both on and off the pitch.

One of the most popular sports on earth, the game is played in over 200 countries. The men’s World Cup