Simon Kuper
@simonkuper.bsky.social
Financial Times columnist, football podcaster at Heroes and Humans, and author of books including Chums, Good Chaps, Impossible City: Paris in the Twenty-First Century, Soccernomics etc. British and now French, lives in Paris with wife and kids.
Reposted by Simon Kuper
'You must understand the World Cup is a kind of religious feast that includes the whole world ... Whereas Easter is only for Christians, the World Cup is for everyone'
A fascinating interview with #WorldCupFever author @simonkuper.bsky.social for Football Makes History ⚽️
A fascinating interview with #WorldCupFever author @simonkuper.bsky.social for Football Makes History ⚽️
The World Cup as a Mirror of History: A Conversation with Simon Kuper - Football Makes History
Football Makes History sat down with writer and journalist Simon Kuper to discuss his latest book, "World Cup Fever".
footballmakeshistory.eu
November 10, 2025 at 10:56 AM
'You must understand the World Cup is a kind of religious feast that includes the whole world ... Whereas Easter is only for Christians, the World Cup is for everyone'
A fascinating interview with #WorldCupFever author @simonkuper.bsky.social for Football Makes History ⚽️
A fascinating interview with #WorldCupFever author @simonkuper.bsky.social for Football Makes History ⚽️
The UK ambassador's residence in Paris (bought by Wellington from Napoleon's sister in 1815) is the house where Churchill's parents married, where Churchill sang in bath while France was being invaded, where a British servant stopped Nazis in 1941 etc. My tour with the ambassador on.ft.com/495OYDF
Britain’s new ambassador to France: ‘You all play the game of influence’
[FREE TO READ] Mere weeks into the job, ‘securocrat’ Sir Thomas Drew has positioned Paris’s 18th-century Hôtel de Charost as ‘an informal annex to formal discussions at the Élysée’. It’s no small feat
on.ft.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:00 PM
The UK ambassador's residence in Paris (bought by Wellington from Napoleon's sister in 1815) is the house where Churchill's parents married, where Churchill sang in bath while France was being invaded, where a British servant stopped Nazis in 1941 etc. My tour with the ambassador on.ft.com/495OYDF
Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Aston Villa – What have we learned?
Online discussion 11am Saturday. Sports historian David Goldblatt, Football Supporters’ Association CEO Kevin Miles, Nick McGeehan of FairSquare and others explore the issues raised by the Europa League game
us02web.zoom.us/j/8673874747...
Online discussion 11am Saturday. Sports historian David Goldblatt, Football Supporters’ Association CEO Kevin Miles, Nick McGeehan of FairSquare and others explore the issues raised by the Europa League game
us02web.zoom.us/j/8673874747...
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us02web.zoom.us
November 7, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Aston Villa – What have we learned?
Online discussion 11am Saturday. Sports historian David Goldblatt, Football Supporters’ Association CEO Kevin Miles, Nick McGeehan of FairSquare and others explore the issues raised by the Europa League game
us02web.zoom.us/j/8673874747...
Online discussion 11am Saturday. Sports historian David Goldblatt, Football Supporters’ Association CEO Kevin Miles, Nick McGeehan of FairSquare and others explore the issues raised by the Europa League game
us02web.zoom.us/j/8673874747...
From my FT column on the 3 worst books I've ever read
November 7, 2025 at 6:27 PM
From my FT column on the 3 worst books I've ever read
The Russian Londoner Jana Bakunina on her excellent book The Good Russian, which is out this week inews.co.uk/news/world/r...
I'm a Russian living in London - this is what people back home think of Putin
Jana Bakunina reveals what pro-Putin friends and family told her while visiting Yekaterinburg, and how opponents are burying their heads in the sand to survive
inews.co.uk
November 4, 2025 at 9:54 AM
The Russian Londoner Jana Bakunina on her excellent book The Good Russian, which is out this week inews.co.uk/news/world/r...
Happy Halloween. Here's my guide for @financialtimes.com to the ghosts of the world's most visited cemetery, Père-Lachaise in Paris - from Jim Morrison to the fertility and sex god Victor Noir. as.ft.com/r/24de0ea2-c...
Dead famous: The ghosts of Paris’s Père-Lachaise cemetery
[FREE TO READ] Many of the bucolic burial ground’s celebrated residents are still, according to local lore, making their presence felt
as.ft.com
October 31, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Happy Halloween. Here's my guide for @financialtimes.com to the ghosts of the world's most visited cemetery, Père-Lachaise in Paris - from Jim Morrison to the fertility and sex god Victor Noir. as.ft.com/r/24de0ea2-c...
Reposted by Simon Kuper
In praise of being a football fan, by my colleague Simon Kuper: as.ft.com/r/349446da-4...
(I am not really a fan, but my son is, and I loved this piece.)
(I am not really a fan, but my son is, and I loved this piece.)
How sport unites us
[FREE TO READ] In a divided world, fandom is a social superpower
as.ft.com
October 31, 2025 at 8:48 AM
In praise of being a football fan, by my colleague Simon Kuper: as.ft.com/r/349446da-4...
(I am not really a fan, but my son is, and I loved this piece.)
(I am not really a fan, but my son is, and I loved this piece.)
Brilliant story: Suspects of the Louvre jewellery heist appear to be fans of newly promoted Paris FC, which is owned by the billionaire Arnault family. They were arrested while queuing to get into the game against Lyon www.eurosport.fr/football/cam...
www.eurosport.fr
October 31, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Brilliant story: Suspects of the Louvre jewellery heist appear to be fans of newly promoted Paris FC, which is owned by the billionaire Arnault family. They were arrested while queuing to get into the game against Lyon www.eurosport.fr/football/cam...
With social isolation rising, about the last thing that brings people together - even across political divides - is sports fandom. Me @financialtimes.com on why fans have more friends, social connections and democratic sympathies - with help from @moreincommonus.bsky.social as.ft.com/r/671ea66b-4...
How sport unites us
[FREE TO READ] In a divided world, fandom is a social superpower
as.ft.com
October 30, 2025 at 4:00 PM
With social isolation rising, about the last thing that brings people together - even across political divides - is sports fandom. Me @financialtimes.com on why fans have more friends, social connections and democratic sympathies - with help from @moreincommonus.bsky.social as.ft.com/r/671ea66b-4...
Reposted by Simon Kuper
On the “defeat” of the far right in the Netherlands 🇳🇱
The total number of far-right seats in the Tweede Kamer:
2021: 28
2023: 41
2025: 42 👈
And I don’t even count BBB here, which has radicalized significantly in the last year.
The total number of far-right seats in the Tweede Kamer:
2021: 28
2023: 41
2025: 42 👈
And I don’t even count BBB here, which has radicalized significantly in the last year.
October 30, 2025 at 1:24 PM
On the “defeat” of the far right in the Netherlands 🇳🇱
The total number of far-right seats in the Tweede Kamer:
2021: 28
2023: 41
2025: 42 👈
And I don’t even count BBB here, which has radicalized significantly in the last year.
The total number of far-right seats in the Tweede Kamer:
2021: 28
2023: 41
2025: 42 👈
And I don’t even count BBB here, which has radicalized significantly in the last year.
Reupping this ahead of today's Dutch elections, with far right having essentially walked away from government
Me ahead of next week's Dutch elections on the three ways of being a far-right leader: Trump's maximalism, Meloni's compromise, and in 🇳🇱, Geert Wilders' approach of changing the country by shouting from opposition. He's the man who sets the national agenda @financialtimes.com on.ft.com/3Jly9tK
What nationalist leaders will learn from Geert Wilders
[FREE TO READ] By shouting at the system, the Dutch politician moves it rightwards
on.ft.com
October 29, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Reupping this ahead of today's Dutch elections, with far right having essentially walked away from government
Reposted by Simon Kuper
Me ahead of next week's Dutch elections on the three ways of being a far-right leader: Trump's maximalism, Meloni's compromise, and in 🇳🇱, Geert Wilders' approach of changing the country by shouting from opposition. He's the man who sets the national agenda @financialtimes.com on.ft.com/3Jly9tK
What nationalist leaders will learn from Geert Wilders
[FREE TO READ] By shouting at the system, the Dutch politician moves it rightwards
on.ft.com
October 24, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Me ahead of next week's Dutch elections on the three ways of being a far-right leader: Trump's maximalism, Meloni's compromise, and in 🇳🇱, Geert Wilders' approach of changing the country by shouting from opposition. He's the man who sets the national agenda @financialtimes.com on.ft.com/3Jly9tK
Reposted by Simon Kuper
"Such is their fear of jail, bankruptcy or reprisal, that most people I spoke to insisted on anonymity. This was in spite of the fact that many of the same people said Trump would only be restrained by powerful voices standing up to him." My Weekend FT essay. Please read it. on.ft.com/4hqblpr
The Trump Supremacy
[FREE TO READ] Opponents in disarray, allies in line, followers enthralled — the US president is already on his way to building a new world order
on.ft.com
October 24, 2025 at 9:41 AM
"Such is their fear of jail, bankruptcy or reprisal, that most people I spoke to insisted on anonymity. This was in spite of the fact that many of the same people said Trump would only be restrained by powerful voices standing up to him." My Weekend FT essay. Please read it. on.ft.com/4hqblpr
Me ahead of next week's Dutch elections on the three ways of being a far-right leader: Trump's maximalism, Meloni's compromise, and in 🇳🇱, Geert Wilders' approach of changing the country by shouting from opposition. He's the man who sets the national agenda @financialtimes.com on.ft.com/3Jly9tK
What nationalist leaders will learn from Geert Wilders
[FREE TO READ] By shouting at the system, the Dutch politician moves it rightwards
on.ft.com
October 24, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Me ahead of next week's Dutch elections on the three ways of being a far-right leader: Trump's maximalism, Meloni's compromise, and in 🇳🇱, Geert Wilders' approach of changing the country by shouting from opposition. He's the man who sets the national agenda @financialtimes.com on.ft.com/3Jly9tK
Reposted by Simon Kuper
Journalist Simon Kuper: ‘Mijn liefde voor voetbal herkende ik weer door mijn kinderen’
Journalist Simon Kuper: ‘Mijn liefde voor voetbal herkende ik weer door mijn kinderen’
Journalist Simon Kuper schreef een boek over de negen WK’s die hij bezocht. Hoe bleef hij van voetbal houden terwijl randzaken en misstanden de sport steeds meer beheersen? ‘Zeg niet dat mensen geen plezier meer mogen hebben.’
www.trouw.nl
October 23, 2025 at 4:03 AM
Journalist Simon Kuper: ‘Mijn liefde voor voetbal herkende ik weer door mijn kinderen’
Reposted by Simon Kuper
🎧 Thursday morning listening 🎧
Catch up with @simonkuper.bsky.social discussing his new book #WorldCupFever on Monocle Radio below ⚽️
Catch up with @simonkuper.bsky.social discussing his new book #WorldCupFever on Monocle Radio below ⚽️
Simon Kuper on his new book, ‘World Cup Fever: A Footballing Journey in Nine Tournaments’ - Monocle
We speak with author and ‘Financial Times’ journalist Simon Kuper about his new book, ‘World Cup Fever: A Footballing Journey...
monocle.com
October 23, 2025 at 8:38 AM
🎧 Thursday morning listening 🎧
Catch up with @simonkuper.bsky.social discussing his new book #WorldCupFever on Monocle Radio below ⚽️
Catch up with @simonkuper.bsky.social discussing his new book #WorldCupFever on Monocle Radio below ⚽️
Over George Blake schreef ik de biografie De vrolijke verrader. Hier vertel ik op @nporadio1.bsky.social over de KGB-spion uit Spangen, zijn legendarische ontsnapping uit de gevangenis, en zijn vlucht (o.m. in een campervan) van Londen naar Moskou www.nporadio1.nl/fragmenten/v...
Terug naar Toen: Spion George Blake ontsnapt uit gevangenis
Op 22 oktober 1966 ontsnapt dubbelspion George Blake uit de gevangenis. Aanvankelijk spioneerde hij voor de geallieerden maar in de jaren 50 werd hij communist en werd hij dubbelspion. Journalist Simo...
www.nporadio1.nl
October 22, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Over George Blake schreef ik de biografie De vrolijke verrader. Hier vertel ik op @nporadio1.bsky.social over de KGB-spion uit Spangen, zijn legendarische ontsnapping uit de gevangenis, en zijn vlucht (o.m. in een campervan) van Londen naar Moskou www.nporadio1.nl/fragmenten/v...
Reposted by Simon Kuper
21 vragen aan... | Simon Kuper blikt terug op dertig jaar schrijverschap en vertelt hoe elk boek begint met een duidelijke vraag, een reis en herkenbare hoofdfiguren. In zijn nieuwe boek neemt hij de lezer mee langs negen WK’s om te laten zien hoe voetbal de wereld weerspiegelt.
‘Zonder hoofdfiguren geen boek’, zegt Simon Kuper. ‘En als een verhaal niet chronologisch is, raak je mensen kwijt’
Simon Kuper blikt terug op dertig jaar schrijverschap en vertelt hoe elk boek begint met een duidelijke vraag, een reis en herkenbare hoofdfiguren. In zijn nieuwe boek, De wereld aan mijn voeten,…
buff.ly
October 21, 2025 at 10:31 AM
21 vragen aan... | Simon Kuper blikt terug op dertig jaar schrijverschap en vertelt hoe elk boek begint met een duidelijke vraag, een reis en herkenbare hoofdfiguren. In zijn nieuwe boek neemt hij de lezer mee langs negen WK’s om te laten zien hoe voetbal de wereld weerspiegelt.
Reposted by Simon Kuper
Football fans, listen back to @simonkuper.bsky.social chatting to Adrian Chiles about his new book #WorldCupFever on @bbc5live.bsky.social, from 49 mins in ⚽️🏆
Adrian Chiles - 16/10/2025 - BBC Sounds
Adrian Chiles with original journalism and surprising news stories.
tinyurl.com
October 20, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Football fans, listen back to @simonkuper.bsky.social chatting to Adrian Chiles about his new book #WorldCupFever on @bbc5live.bsky.social, from 49 mins in ⚽️🏆
It's easy to mock the French for seeming to want unlimited government spending. I've done it myself. But I sympathise with their anger: France is an underfunded social democracy crossed with an oligarchy. Me
@financialtimes.com on France's undertaxed billionaires - close to Macron on.ft.com/4qwaFDh
@financialtimes.com on France's undertaxed billionaires - close to Macron on.ft.com/4qwaFDh
Time to guillotine France’s super-rich tax breaks
[FREE TO READ] Does the country need a wealth tax?
on.ft.com
October 16, 2025 at 3:22 PM
It's easy to mock the French for seeming to want unlimited government spending. I've done it myself. But I sympathise with their anger: France is an underfunded social democracy crossed with an oligarchy. Me
@financialtimes.com on France's undertaxed billionaires - close to Macron on.ft.com/4qwaFDh
@financialtimes.com on France's undertaxed billionaires - close to Macron on.ft.com/4qwaFDh
Really good by Stephen Bush on.ft.com/4qaPdmV
How Brexit drained the Tories’ talent pool
[FREE TO READ] The party can’t keep expecting successful people to pretend that leaving the EU was a good idea
on.ft.com
October 14, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Really good by Stephen Bush on.ft.com/4qaPdmV
Ukridge? Psmith? Wooster? Hard disagree, stick to football
With few exceptions (eg the plot of Macbeth and the character of Jeeves), all Shakespeare and Wodehouse plots and characters are forgettable or contrived, which only underlines how astonishingly brilliant their language has to be to make them the greatest playwright and comic novelist in English.
Tell me your most unhinged literary opinion, as a little treat
October 13, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Ukridge? Psmith? Wooster? Hard disagree, stick to football
Reposted by Simon Kuper
Calling all football fans! ⚽️
#WorldCupFever: A Footballing Journey in Nine Tournaments by @simonkuper.bsky.social is available in audiobook now!
Get your copy here:
tinyurl.com/wjwk4t6j
#WorldCupFever: A Footballing Journey in Nine Tournaments by @simonkuper.bsky.social is available in audiobook now!
Get your copy here:
tinyurl.com/wjwk4t6j
October 13, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Calling all football fans! ⚽️
#WorldCupFever: A Footballing Journey in Nine Tournaments by @simonkuper.bsky.social is available in audiobook now!
Get your copy here:
tinyurl.com/wjwk4t6j
#WorldCupFever: A Footballing Journey in Nine Tournaments by @simonkuper.bsky.social is available in audiobook now!
Get your copy here:
tinyurl.com/wjwk4t6j
Reposted by Simon Kuper
The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.
October 9, 2025 at 8:23 PM
The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.
Yes, Starmer is an uncharismatic lawyer with no vision, but he also embodies a broader problem: mainstream parties across the west no longer have a vision of utopia. Nativists do - one set in a white past. Me @financialtimes.com on how, despite climate, we can reclaim the future on.ft.com/3KHJViB
A utopian future is still possible (just)
Mainstream parties have stopped promising voters better lives
on.ft.com
October 10, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Yes, Starmer is an uncharismatic lawyer with no vision, but he also embodies a broader problem: mainstream parties across the west no longer have a vision of utopia. Nativists do - one set in a white past. Me @financialtimes.com on how, despite climate, we can reclaim the future on.ft.com/3KHJViB