How Global Sporting Events Run On Bribes & Help Dictators

Soccer: it's the sport the rest of the world calls "football", despite how loud America yells otherwise. It's also the global obsession that peaks every 4 years with a World Cup. This year's Cup is about to start in Russia. 2026's Cup is about to get awarded to the United States and Canada and Mexico, maybe. And everyone is abuzz about which of the perennial contenders (minus Italy, minus the Netherlands) will win it all. That passion for the game means big crowds, big glory, and big money. But did you know it also created the world's most brazen white collar criminal organization? And helps past and present autocrats keep their stranglehold on power?

On this week's episode of The Cracked Podcast, Alex Schmidt is joined by Dr. Natalie Koch (Maxwell School at Syracuse University) and by DeMorge Brown (Harmontown, Channel 101) for a deep dive into how soccer's governing body became a secret Swiss crime family without most fans noticing. They'll find insanely bold corruption in the sport everywhere from Qatar to Trump Tower. And you'll discover how soccer, the Olympics, cycling, falconry, and more global sports take our planet's politics in a weirdly dark direction while also bringing joy to our planet's people.

Footnotes:

NatalieKoch.com

Critical Geographies of Sport: Space, Power and Sport in Global Perspective (edited by Dr. Natalie Koch)

FIFA Announces Russia, Qatar as World Cup Hosts for 2018, 2022 (Full Presentation)

Soccer's Culture of Corruption (New York Review Of Books)

Opinion: Did Russia Steal the World Cup? (The New York Times)

FIFA releases report detailing alleged corruption in World Cup bids of Russia and Qatar (Los Angeles Times)

Fifa official took bribes to back Qatar's 2022 World Cup bid, court hears (The Guardian)

Plot to buy the World Cup: Huge email cache reveals secrets of Qatar's shock victory (Times of London)

What happened to the Qatar World Cup's cooling technology? (BBC News)

Revealed: Qatar's World Cup 'slaves' (The Guardian)

Stadium deals, corruption and bribery: the questions at the heart of Brazil's Olympic and World Cup 'miracle' (The Guardian)