Jules Boykoff

Jules Boykoff is a professor of political science at Pacific University in Oregon and the author of six books on the Olympic Games, most recently What Are the Olympics For?

People take part in a demonstration against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games in Milan, Italy, on January 31, 2026.

Get Ready for This Year’s Undemocratic, Debt-Ridden, and Mobster-Infused Winter Olympics    Get Ready for This Year’s Undemocratic, Debt-Ridden, and Mobster-Infused Winter Olympics   

ICE thugs in the streets, Mafia meddling, and billions in waste—seems like the Games are off to a great start.

Feb 5, 2026 / Jules Boykoff and Dave Zirin

Displaced Palestinian youths take part in a training session at the Aida Refugee Camp's football pitch, next to the separation wall outside Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, on December 16, 2025, a few weeks after an Israeli military decision to demolish the field.

What It Took to Save a Soccer Field in Palestine What It Took to Save a Soccer Field in Palestine

Europe’s governing soccer body saves a pitch in the West Bank—but is it only because the Swiss Parliament is threatening to pull its tax exemption over its inclusion of Israel?

Jan 22, 2026 / Jules Boykoff and Dave Zirin

President Donald Trump receives the FIFA Peace Prize from Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 5, 2025, in Washington, DC.

FIFA Kisses Up to Trump With a “Peace Prize” FIFA Kisses Up to Trump With a “Peace Prize”

With the world’s soccer fans watching, Gianni Infantino, the great toady to the globe’s oligarchs, handed a made-up award to the increasingly violent US president.

Dec 5, 2025 / Dave Zirin and Jules Boykoff

New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference announcing his “Game Over Greed” campaign urging FIFA to drop dynamic pricing on September 10, 2025, in the Bronx.

Zohran Mamdani Is Right to Call Out FIFA. But He Doesn't Go Far Enough. Zohran Mamdani Is Right to Call Out FIFA. But He Doesn't Go Far Enough.

Mamdani is right to hold FIFA accountable for fleecing its fans. But cheaper prices won’t matter if you end up in the back of an unmarked van.

Oct 10, 2025 / Dave Zirin and Jules Boykoff

President Donald Trump flanked by Ferrari chair John Elkann (R) and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, holds a ball as he makes remarks in the Oval Office of the White House during a visit by members of Italian soccer club Juventus in Washington, DC, on June 18, 2025.

FIFA Is Abusing Its Players to Keep Authoritarians Happy FIFA Is Abusing Its Players to Keep Authoritarians Happy

While players are forced to endure extreme heat in this summer’s World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino is cozying up to power.

Jul 11, 2025 / Dave Zirin and Jules Boykoff

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with the White House Task Force for the 2026 World Cup on May 6, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Trump’s World Cup Will Endanger Foreign Guests. Boycott Now! Trump’s World Cup Will Endanger Foreign Guests. Boycott Now!

If you need to see the 2026 World Cup in person, stick to Canada and Mexico. The US isn’t safe for visitors.

May 20, 2025 / Jules Boykoff and Dave Zirin

The new FIFA Club World Cup trophy during a swearing in ceremony in the Oval Office on March 28, 2025.

With ICE Out of Control, How Can the US Cohost the 2026 World Cup? With ICE Out of Control, How Can the US Cohost the 2026 World Cup?

The country has proven itself incapable of not abducting and imprisoning people entering it—boycotting US matches avoids putting teams, their families, and fans in danger.

Mar 31, 2025 / Jules Boykoff and Dave Zirin

A motorcyclist stops to look at a burning home during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area of Los Angeles County, California, on January 8, 2025.

The Olympics Aren’t the Way to Rebuild Los Angeles The Olympics Aren’t the Way to Rebuild Los Angeles

The right opposes the LA Olympics on reactionary grounds, but the left must not embrace their arguments. There are better ways to help LA recover than LA28.

Jan 15, 2025 / Jules Boykoff and Dave Zirin

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass receives the Olympic flag during the closing ceremonies of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Saint-Denis on August 11, 2024.

Stopping Trump From Using the LA Olympics to Burnish His Strongman Image Stopping Trump From Using the LA Olympics to Burnish His Strongman Image

Activists, community leaders, and organizers are already teaming up to prevent LA28 from becoming an echo of the 1936 Nazi Olympics.

Dec 3, 2024 / Jules Boykoff and Dave Zirin

A sea of Palestinian flags waved by fans in the stands of the UEFA Champions League football match between Borussia Dortmund and Celtic in Dortmund, western Germany on October 1, 2024.

In a Glaring Double Standard, FIFA Fails to Suspend Israel In a Glaring Double Standard, FIFA Fails to Suspend Israel

FIFA banned apartheid South Africa. It banned Russia for invading Ukraine. But about Israel, FIFA does nothing.

Oct 7, 2024 / Jules Boykoff and Dave Zirin

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