Should FIFA host its biggest event-the FIFA World Cup-every two years instead of every four, as it has been doing since the event's inception in the 1930s? In September 2021, Gianni Infantino, the president of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), addresses representatives of the 211 national associations that are members of football's highest-level governing body, from a conference room in FIFA's headquarters in Switzerland. The members have convened to discuss proposed reforms spearheaded by former coach Arsène Wenger, FIFA's Chief Football Officer, who is seated next to Infantino. News of the planned reforms already have sent shockwaves through the world of football. For instance, the president of football's European confederation, UEFA, has referred to a biennial World Cup as a "killer" and vowed to boycott the idea. The president of the Spanish league, one of football's top three domestic leagues, has dismissed the plans as "a threat not just to domestic football leagues but to the overall tradition of world football." Are the proposed reforms-all part of a 'Future of Football' project designed to reshape the sport-the right bet for FIFA? And if so, what can the governing body do to guide the process along the right path?

"Our goal is to be the kind of start-up that would terrify Nike-if Nike didn't already own us." Ron Faris, general manager of S23NYC, a Manhattan-based digital studio owned by sports apparel giant Nike, is on the phone with Adam Sussman, Nike's chief digital officer. It is June 1, 2018. Two years earlier, Sussman was behind Nike's push to acquire Virgin Mega, a startup comprised of Faris and his small team, which has since morphed into a studio that plays a pivotal role in Nike's digital strategy. With the studio's mobile app, SNKRS (pronounced 'sneakers'), specifically, Nike seeks to strengthen its connection with the most fanatical of its fans-the sneakerheads-and "bring back the fun and emotion of buying," as Sussman put it. Is Nike on the right path with its digital strategy and, in particular, with how it seeks to change the sneakers game and compete with rivals such as Adidas and Puma? Does it make sense for the company to pursue the kinds of innovations featured in the SNKRS app? And what kind of campaigns and activations should it prioritize in the future?