"FIFA is a racket" w/ Abdullah Al-Arian
About this episode
The episode discusses the intersection of football, Arab identity, and the political controversies surrounding the World Cup with guest Abdullah Al-Arian.
With the 2026 World Cup having started in the USA, the brothers welcome Abdullah Al-Arian , Chair of History at Georgetown University Qatar and editor of Football in the Middle East: State, Society, and the Beautiful Game. We talk about how football shapes Arab identity, including the role of diaspora, and how it is instrumentalized by Arab states. We also talk about the controversies and politics of the World Cup, including the journey of Team Palestine during a genocide, and discrimination against Iran's team and fans from across the global south. We wrap by discussing the question of FIFA Eurocentrism, corruption, and double standards, including FIFA's cowardice in not banning Israel. For the record, we all try to predict who will win the World Cup! Date of recording: June 19, 2026 Follow us on our socials: X: @MakdisiStreet YouTube: @MakdisiStreet Insta: @Makdisist TikTok: @Makdisistreet Music by Hadiiiiii Consider supporting the show www.patreon.com/makdisistreet
People in this episode
Host: Makdisi Bros.
Guest: Abdullah Al-Arian
Topics covered
- football
- Arab identity
- World Cup controversies
- politics
- FIFA corruption
- discrimination
- diaspora
Keywords
- World Cup
- Arab identity
- FIFA
- politics
- discrimination
- Palestine
- Iran
- Eurocentrism
- corruption
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Georgetown University Qatar, FIFA, Israel
Books & works: Football in the Middle East: State, Society, and the Beautiful Game
Places: USA, Palestine, Iran
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