A World Cup in the age of Trump
About this episode
Nick Cohen interviews Professor Stefan Szymanski about the World Cup's evolution, corruption, and political challenges.
The World Cup - the goals, the corruption and the colonialism! In this week's Lowdown podcast, Nick Cohen talks to Professor Stefan Szymanski, Professor of the Economics of Sports at Michigan University, about the World Cup and the evolution of global football. They explore how the tournament has shifted from being hosted by nation-states to being controlled by oligarchical interests, with Stefan explaining how FIFA's corruption stems from colonialism's legacy and the post-colonial power struggle within the organisation. The conversation covered dramatic price increases in World Cup tickets from 1994 to the present, with final match tickets rising from $475 (inflation-adjusted) to $10,000 calculated for this year's final! Stefan argues the problem isn't the high prices themselves but where the money is being directed. They discuss the tension between FIFA and UEFA, the flow of talent from developing to developed nations, and the political challenges facing future World Cup hosts including the current tournament in the United States and Canada. The interview concludes with a discussion about whether the World Cup could eventually unravel due to political tensions and boycotts…
People in this episode
Host: Nick Cohen
Guest: Stefan Szymanski
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Michigan University, FIFA, UEFA
Books & works: Crickonomics: The Anatomy of Modern Cricket
Places: United States, Canada
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