Football Deserves Better Than FIFA with David Goldblatt
About this episode
The episode features an interview with David Goldblatt discussing the complexities of football's role in society and the challenges faced by FIFA.
In this episode, Priyanash interviews David Goldblatt, a renowned football writer and academic, to explore the political, cultural, and economic dimensions of the World Cup and football's role in society. They discuss the legacy of recent tournaments, FIFA's organizational challenges, and the potential for reform and resistance within the sport. David Goldblatt is a writer, journalist and academic. He has written four previous major books on football, including the masterful The Ball is Round and most recently, Injury Time: Football in a State of Emergency (Mudlark, 2025). His journalism and books have received multiple awards. David also teaches academic courses on the history and political economy of global football. Before the start of this World Cup, David taught a four-week online course on the history and politics of the tournament for Equator. Chapters 01:10 The political legacy of recent World Cups 02:23 Mexico's contribution and democratic resilience 03:47 The US, Qatar, and Brazil's World Cup experiences 06:01 Football's ability to foster solidarity and resistance 07:36 Entertainment and goals in modern international football 12:32 The influence of political regimes on…
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