Inside FIFA and the Politics of Mega-Events with Jules Boykoff

This episode features longtime friend-of-the-show Jules Boykoff discussing the politics of sports, sportswashing, and the implications of mega-events like the World Cup. A month out of the Men’s World Cup, Jules, Nathan and Priyansh explore how sports are used for political and economic agendas, the role of FIFA and IOC, and the social impact of world football.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the End of Sport Podcast01:15 Exploring Sports Washing and Mega Events04:20 The Political Economy of Sports Washing08:45 Gianni Infantino and the FIFA Greed Machine11:38 The Role of Saudi Arabia in Sports Washing20:33 Kicking: A Memoir on Football and Politics23:16 Navigating Power Corridors in Sports31:53 The Cultural Depth of Football39:00 Football as the Beautiful Game51:12 Soccer's Evolution in the United States57:05 Political Organizing and the Upcoming World CupKeywords: sports washing, FIFA, World Cup, mega-events, politics of sport, social activism, sports activism, global football, sports capitalism, sports and politicsResources:Kicking by Jules Boykoff - https://www.dukeupress.edu/kickingRed Card: The 2026 World Cup, Sports Washing, and FIFA Greed Machine by Jules Boykoff - https://www.orbooks.com/catalog/red-cardJules Boykoff's academic work - https://julesboykoff.comHosts in this episode: Priyansh and Nathan Kalman-Lamb________________________________________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.