The world’s game: politics and the World Cup
6/10/202639 min
Even before a game has been played, this year’s World Cup has been the source of controversy. Officials and staff from countries like Iraq, Iran and Somalia have been refused entry or face lengthy interrogation by immigration officials at American airports.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been widely criticized for his proximity to U.S. President Donald Trump after presenting Trump with a ‘FIFA Peace Prize’ award and sitting in the front row at Trump’s inauguration.
For nearly 100 years, leaders across the world have used soccer, and the World Cup specifically, as a tool of power and politics.
David Goldblatt is a journalist, sociologist, professor, and the author of bestselling books such as ‘The Ball is round: A Global History of Soccer.’ He joins the program to discuss the World Cup’s political history, the failed promise of this year's tournament, and how soccer became “our great public and political theatre.”
For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts
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Matthew Amha· Host0:33
[upbeat music] I'm Matthew. I'm in for Jamie Poisson. On Thursday, 48 nations from all corners of the world will begin the competition for the most vaunted title in global sport, the World Cup. On its face, this is just another sporting competition. But really, there's so much more that's going on. For nearly 100 years, leaders from all over the world have used this soccer tournament as a tool for power and politics, colonial and anti-colonial regimes, warmongers and peacemakers. And to say that it's enormous would be a pretty incredible understatement. The last World Cup was watched on television by more than half of the world's population. Few televised events in the history of the world have had a similar purchase. Not the Moon landing, not the Olympics, not the Super Bowl,