Sport's Strangest Crimes - Shadows on the Pitch: Trailer

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Conspiracy theories and the football World Cup seem to go hand in hand.

Football writer James Montague is digging into one that refuses to fade; a story that takes us back to the first time America hosted the men's football World Cup..

Did the US influence a qualifying tournament to keep its enemies Iraq, Iran and North Korea from playing at USA ‘94? It’s a conspiracy theory put forward by the Iraqi football federation over thirty years ago and one that’s obsessed football writer James Montague for over a decade.

Published on Thursday, 16th July 2026.

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