Why are we talking about the World Cup again? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 31, 2026 · 12 MIN

Why are we talking about the World Cup again?

from What in the World · host BBC World Service

It’s less than two weeks after Spain won the men’s World Cup, but suddenly the tournament is back in the headlines. This time it’s because of a plan from Fifa’s President Gianni Infantino to sell a stake in their tournaments to private investors. Infantino says it’s a chance to “turbocharge” the development of the game - and national associations have been offered millions of dollars if they agree to the plans.It’s fair to say the plans haven’t gone down well with everyone - with European’s governing body Uefa saying their members won’t go to any World Cups (men’s or women’s) if the plans go through.We talk to BBC Sport’s Isaac Fanin (fresh from a month at the World Cup) about what the plans are, what the response has been and what might happen next.NB: We recorded this episode on Friday morning and it’s all changing so fast we have to keep rewriting this description…Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producer: Emma-Louise Amanshia Editor: Verity Wilde

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 31, 2026

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