About this episode

Franklin Foer discusses how soccer reflects global politics and nationalism in the context of the World Cup.

As the World Cup kicks off, what can soccer tell us about the state of the world? Franklin Foer, author of “How Soccer Explains the World,” joins the show to discuss why the world's most popular sport remains one of the best lenses for understanding nationalism, globalization, identity, and political power. More than twenty years after the book's original publication, Foer reflects on how globalization reshaped the game, why national identity remains a powerful force, and what the World Cup reveals about today's geopolitical landscape. Topics covered: Why globalization often strengthened nationalism rather than weakened it The possibility of a U.S.-Iran World Cup showdown on American soil The roles of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and the growing intersection of sports and geopolitics President Trump’s relationship with FIFA Subscribe to The Long Game on Substack for exclusive video content, transcripts, and more. This week, paid subscribers receive the inaugural edition of The Wrap, where Jake and Jon share what they're reading, revisit something they may have gotten wrong, and discuss the issues they're watching most closely. Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New…

People in this episode

Hosts: Jake Sullivan, Jon Finer

Guest: Franklin Foer

Topics covered

• global politics
• soccer
• nationalism
• globalization
• identity
• political power
• geopolitical landscape

Keywords

• World Cup
• globalization
• national identity
• geopolitics
• soccer
• Franklin Foer
• Trump
• FIFA

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Vox Media Podcast Network

Books & works: How Soccer Explains the World

Places: U.S., Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar

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