June 15, 2026
The World Cup unites billions of people every four years. But it also serves as a stage for debates over identity, nationalism, and political power.
In this episode of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, Financial Times columnist Simon Kuper explores how the tournament became far more than a soccer competition. From debates over immigration and national identity to FIFA's immense power and lack of accountability, the World Cup has become a stage where politics and sport are impossible to separate.
Yet despite the politics, controversy, and commercialization, the World Cup remains one of the few events capable of captivating entire countries and bringing billions of people together. The result is a tournament that reveals as much about the world we live in as it does about the sport itself.
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