The Marshall Islands’ first national soccer team discovers what “home” can mean—on a field in Arkansas.
football
Posted inEditor's Pick
Turfin’ Safari
“Growing grass for the 2026 World Cup has been a years-long science project. Here’s how it’s going, from B.C. to Tennessee.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Second and Long
“Why did James Whitehead—poet, fiction writer, and onetime college football player—fail to complete a successor to his celebrated first novel?”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Sour
“I looked up and down at my reflection. And I wished for the same thing I’d wish for every morning, of every day, for the next almost 15 years. To be absolutely anyone else.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
How Pacman Jones, NFL Poster Boy for Bad Behavior, Stepped in for Fallen Teammate’s Family
“Years ago, after the accident, when Pacman promised Loleini he’d do anything for Slim’s family, he meant it.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Joe Montana Was Here
“No. 16 is no longer what it once was. Joe Montana now must be something else.”
Posted inNonfiction
Best of 2022: Investigative Reporting
The incredible stories that exposed abuses of both power and people.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Andrew Luck Finally Reveals Why He Walked Away From the NFL
“He had no idea what came next, or how hard it would be to find out. All he knew was that he didn’t have to pretend anymore.”
Posted inTop 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week’s list features stories from Melissa del Bosque, Jeff Maysh, Nathan Munn, Katherine Rundell, and Tom Lamont.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Inside Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s Great Wrexham Gambit
“What happens when two Hollywood actors who know nothing about soccer buy a middling pro team in Wales?”