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The 48 nations in the 2026 FIFA World Cup
The 2026 FIFA World Cup comes to an end tomorrow, 19 July 2026, with the final between Argentina and Spain set to take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. This marks the 23rd edition of the world’s premier football tournament (or soccer, as it is known in North America). The tournament began on 11 June 2026 and made history as the first FIFA World Cup to be hosted by three countries: the United States, Mexico and Canada. It was also the first World Cup since 2002 to be staged across multiple nations. For Canada, this was its first time hosting or co-hosting the tournament, while the United States previously hosted in 1994.…
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Farewell to Russia: A Journey Through the Former USSR
The title of this post might be a little misleading. I’m not writing about a journey I’ve taken – at least not yet. Despite my love of travel and long-standing fascination with the former Soviet Union, I have yet to visit Russia or any of the other 14 countries that emerged after the collapse of the USSR. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) comprised 15 constituent republics, all of which became independent states following its dissolution on 26 December 1991. My inspiration for this post – and indeed its title – comes from a book I recently read: Farewell to Russia: A Journey Through the Former USSR, by journalist and…