About this episode

The episode explores the political implications of the 2026 World Cup hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada amidst global tensions.

The world is obsessed with the World Cup. Soccer, or what most of the world calls football, is the most popular sport across the globe. And no event captures more attention than the World Cup. And the host of the World Cup has the global attention on them throughout the tournament. This year’s tournament is the first to be hosted by three different countries, the United States, Mexico and Canada. It is a remarkable opportunity to build a nation’s image and reputation and build goodwill. But has this year’s World Cup and the controversies around it enhanced the images of these three nations? In particular, the tournament is taking place during a war where the country the US attacked, Iran, is playing in the US. Visa issues to enter the United States have dominated the news. And the high price of tickets for events have resulted in empty seats in stadiums. On today’s show, we will explore what is being called the “most political World Cup in history” and its impact on the hosts of the event. [ dur: 58mins. ] Nick Cull is Professor of Public Diplomacy, Global Communication Policy Fellow, Center for Communication Leadership and Policy at the University of Southern California. He is…

People in this episode

Guests: Nick Cull, Simon Rofe

Topics covered

• World Cup
• sports diplomacy
• international relations
• politics
• public diplomacy
• global events

Keywords

• World Cup
• politics
• sports diplomacy
• international relations
• public diplomacy
• Iran
• ticket prices
• visa issues

Mentioned in this episode

Places: United States, Mexico, Canada, Iran

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