Should There be an Asterisk on the MAGA World Cup?

Should there be an asterisk on this men’s World Cup? Priyansh and Derek sit down with football journalist Grace Robertson to discuss complexities of the 2026 World Cup, widespread political issues and hypocrisies, technological changes like VAR, and the evolving tactics of international football.Grace Robertson writes the much-acclaimed newsletter, Grace on Football, on Substack. Beyond her own newsletter, Grace's writings on football have appeared in Vanity Fair, Eurosport, StatsBomb and elsewhere.Chapters01:59 Challenges of writing about politics and football04:04 Is this an asterisk World Cup? Historical context05:50 Precedents of controversial decisions in FIFA history08:13 VAR's journey and its impact on the game11:03 The interventionist nature of VAR in this World Cup13:11 Water breaks and game pacing15:48 Goals per game and tactical evolution18:53 Positional play vs. relational tactics21:09 Managerial power in international vs. club football23:59 Player influence and public perception37:08 Discourse on trans rights and politics in football47:55 Football's role in social and political issues53:55 Reflections on the 2026 World Cup and its significanceKeywords: World Cup 2026, football politics, VAR, international football tactics, sports journalism, FIFA, football culture, trans rights in sportsHosts in this episode: Priyansh, Derek________________________________________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.