Has the FIFA World Cup Ever Been Politically Neutral
About this episode
The episode discusses the intersection of politics and the FIFA World Cup, questioning the notion of political neutrality in sports.
If you've been following the 2026 World Cup, you've obviously seen the football, but you've also probably seen a lot of Donald Trump. The US President made himself part of the tournament after FIFA President Gianni Infantino awarded him the organisation's first-ever "Peace Prize" in December. Fast forward to the Folarin Balogun decision, where one phone call from Trump was enough to reverse a red card on a US player. Fans, coaches, and lawmakers called it a clear breach of FIFA's political neutrality. To many people, the way politics is impacting the game might seem new, but has it ever really been any different? We discuss this on BFM 89.9 with James M. Dorsey, adjunct senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and one of the most-cited voices on sport and politics.
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