Football Deserves Better Than FIFA with David Goldblatt

In this episode, Priyanash interviews David Goldblatt, a renowned football writer and academic, to explore the political, cultural, and economic dimensions of the World Cup and football's role in society. They discuss the legacy of recent tournaments, FIFA's organizational challenges, and the potential for reform and resistance within the sport. David Goldblatt is a writer, journalist and academic. He has written four previous major books on football, including the masterful The Ball is Round and most recently, Injury Time: Football in a State of Emergency (Mudlark, 2025). His journalism and books have received multiple awards. David also teaches academic courses on the history and political economy of global football. Before the start of this World Cup, David taught a four-week online course on the history and politics of the tournament for Equator.Chapters01:10 The political legacy of recent World Cups02:23 Mexico's contribution and democratic resilience03:47 The US, Qatar, and Brazil's World Cup experiences06:01 Football's ability to foster solidarity and resistance07:36 Entertainment and goals in modern international football12:32 The influence of political regimes on World Cup stories14:53 The future of FIFA and organizational reform16:57 FIFA's leadership and the legacy of corruption23:54 FIFA's response to climate crisis and sustainability25:49 Hydration breaks and commercialization in football29:35 The cultural significance of the English team36:45 Changes in English national identity and patriotism40:03 The Premier League's financial and political evolution44:52 The global economic impact of football50:00 The future of grassroots football and global development51:14 Hope and resistance in football's futureKeywords: Football, World Cup, FIFA, sports politics, football reform, global football, football culture, sports governance, climate crisis and sportsHosts in this episode: Priyansh________________________________________Support & Follow The End of SportPatreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/Theendofsport⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Support the show!)Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@endofsportpod.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@endofsportpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter/X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@EndofSportPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The End of Sport⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen, share, and support The End of Sport, a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network, a community of over sixty leftist podcasts at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠harbingermedianetwork.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.