Episode Details

Please join me and my special guest, journalist and global democracy expert Bruno Kaufmann, as we discuss the FIFA World Cup, the nations behind the teams, and how those countries compare when measured against global standards of democracy, freedom, and civic participation. The World Cup is more than a sporting competition—it is a gathering of nations with vastly different political systems, histories, and values. Together, we will explore how countries represented on football's biggest stage rank in international assessments of democratic governance, examine the relationship between sport and national identity, and consider how major global events can both reflect and influence political and social change.