Is Football's Soul Being Sold to the Highest Bidder?

The beautiful game is at a crossroads. With every passing season, the fixture list swells, group stages are bloated, and knockout rounds stretch into weeks. The relentless pursuit of revenue has turned the World Cup and Champions League into corporate playgrounds. Players like Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland are rushed through packed schedules, while fans pay soaring prices for diluted lineups. The soul of the sport—the raw passion of a derby, the drama of a penalty shootout—is being squeezed o...