Mexico and the Politics of the 2026 Fifa Men's World Cup

In this episode (+BONUS interview) of the End of Sport, Nathan Kalman-Lamb and Priyansh chat with Alexander Aviña about the intersection of Mexican football, politics, and the upcoming FIFA Men's World Cup. The hosts discuss the cultural significance of events like the Super Bowl halftime show, the historical context of Mexico's World Cup hosting, and the political dynamics of NAFTA. They delve into the rise of AMLO and the Morena party, the influence of Televisa in Mexican sports, and the Zapatistas' anti-capitalist approach to football. The discussion also highlights the contradictions in US immigration policies and the potential for the World Cup to serve as a platform for political activism.NOTE: The first part of the podcast was recorded as a follow-up after where Alex Aviña discusses the recent military operation in Mexico targeting the leader of the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), El Mencho. The operation led to significant violence across multiple states, raising questions about the effectiveness of the U.S. and Mexican government's strategies against drug cartels. No better person to talk to about this.  Chapters00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction01:51 Super Bowl Halftime Show Discussion04:46 Mexican Football and World Cup History07:18 NAFTA and US-Mexico Relations12:39 Contradictions in US Policies20:15 Political Dynamics in North America32:23 AMLO and the Rise of Morena40:43 Club America and Televisa's Influence54:01 Zapatistas and Anti-Capitalist Football01:01:44 World Cup as a Political ToolMexico, World Cup, football, AMLO, NAFTA, Zapatistas, politics, Super Bowl, Televisa, Club America Hosts: Nathan Kaman-Lamb, Priyansh, Anna Posbergh, Johanna Mellis, and Derek Silva________________________________________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.