Every major international football tournament revives an old debate: should politics stay out of sport? The phrase is repeated by commentators, governing bodies, and fans whenever political symbols, statements, or controversies emerge around the game. Yet recent events suggest that the separation between football and politics is far more difficult -perhaps impossible- to maintain. Perhaps, then, the more useful conversation is not whether football and politics should be separated -a goal that history suggests is unrealistic- but how they should coexist. Expecting football to exist in complete isolation from politics may therefore misunderstand both football and politics themselves.