About this episode

The episode discusses the political implications surrounding the World Cup and FIFA's neutrality amidst various controversies.

The World Cup is in full swing across North America, and the U.S. men’s team faces Turkey in its final group round appearance on Thursday. But behind the cheering fans and nail biting matches, FIFA's commitment to political neutrality is put to the test. Marisa sits down with Tariq Panja, global sports correspondent at The New York Times. They dig into the politics behind the games, from restrictions on Iran’s team and President Trump’s unusually close relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Marisa

Guest: Tariq Panja

Topics covered

• World Cup
• politics
• FIFA
• sports
• U.S. men's team
• Iran's team
• Trump

Keywords

• World Cup
• FIFA
• politics
• sports
• U.S. men's team
• Iran
• Trump
• Infantino

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The New York Times, FIFA

Places: Turkey, U.S.

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