Why national teams spark culture wars at the World Cup

Who gets to represent a nation? In this clip from GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, Financial Times columnist Simon Kuper explains why national soccer teams have become flashpoints for debates over immigration, race, and national identity.

As teams across the world have become more diverse, political battles have increasingly spilled onto the pitch. In France, far-right politicians question whether players with immigrant backgrounds are "really" French. In England, debates over race and patriotism erupted when players took a knee before matches. And in Brazil, former President Jair Bolsonaro transformed the national team's iconic yellow jersey into a partisan political symbol.

"The national team is a picture of who belongs in the country," Kuper says. As politics become more polarized, even the teams meant to unite nations are becoming part of the culture wars.