By Raffique Shah
July 04, 2026

I wish I knew more about sports like football much like I did many years ago when I was a fan of the game. Now I just take in the odd match whenever I get the opportunity to. I definitely do not follow club football: I never really had a passion for the game at that level. But last World Cup’s final match reignited my interest in the sport. Looking at the very young Mbappe and the older Lionel Messi on the world’s greatest sporting stage was pure poetry in motion.

Now, after looking at matches every day, I find myself drawn to the teams from the African continent. Their style of playing, the heart they put into their games, and the way they represent their countries with pride, have me hooked on watching their matches and rooting for them to succeed and make a name for themselves on the big stage.

A funny thing happened, though. When the tournament had just begun and France first hit the field, my daughter called my son and she asked: Look, I never thought I’d have to ask this question, but who is the white guy playing for France? My son roared with laughter because he knew exactly what she was implying. He said: That’s Rabiot.

Her implication wasn’t lost to me as I am sure it isn’t lost to many of you out there. The faces of European sports are changing. In general, the faces and presence on the sporting stages are becoming far more inclusive than they ever were. For well over a decade now, we have seen Chinese men and women enter the track and field arena, and now after gaining years of experience, they are performing at top levels, and making it into the finals and delivering good results too.

But the face of European football has changed. It no longer looks like when Balotelli took the field as the lone Afro-Italian player. Many of the European national teams have first and second and even third-generation players with African roots. Most teams now have close to half their sides comprising a mixture of races. Now, this by no means implies that it has been easy for these players when they represent their teams, whether club-based or national-based. Racism in Europe is alive and kicking. The gestures, name-calling, obscenities screaming, and worst, object-throwing are just some of the hate crimes these players face on the field.

Just as we had players from third world countries being poached by scouts from first world nations, we now have the opposite effect today. Several players for the Democratic Republic of Congo were born in France but who either didn’t make the French squad or outright elected instead to play for the DR. Spanish national Brahim Diaz plays for Morocco, having rejected Spain’s overture.

Lamine Yamal, the young man who proudly waved the Palestinian flag at the La Liga victory parade of his club FC Barcelona, is of Moroccan and Equatorial Guinea parentage. These are the players who shine at the matches. The players who get noticed. The players whom the top-performing clubs pay millions for. One has to wonder what the far-right thinks about these colourful additions to their teams. Are they cheering just as loudly because a victory is a victory, or are they musing over the downfall of those in office who neglected to put policies in place to stop the migration and the influx of illegal immigrants? The same illegal immigrants who risk their lives crossing deadly waters to get to safety and a better life. The ones who have sacrificed all for their children, the same children making their adopted nations proud with their performances.

For me, political intervention or interference by governments or administrations is always unwelcomed. The millions who attend sporting events worldwide daily, do so for entertainment, relaxation, and celebration purposes. Breaking the rules by anyone is therefore mostly unwelcomed. Equally, though, people will always find avenues to take action against the first world bullies who advantage impoverished nations, sometimes launching entire movements against the unjust treatment meted out to oppressed countries.

Enough of politics’ negative effects on sports and especially in poorer nations. As loyal citizens of our country, we need to concentrate on the fact that our football has been stagnant for over the last decade. As far as I know, they do not suffer from a shortage of funds, or talent. We are a small but mighty sporting nation. We have been among the greats for decades in athletics, cricket, swimming, cycling. So why not football? More importantly, why have we not been able to pinpoint our troubles and deal with them effectively?