Behind your favorite sport, all too often there is something else at play.
Power Plays is a new investigative podcast from the Human Rights Foundation, hosted by HRF’s Sports & Dictators program lead Karim Zidan, exposing how authoritarian regimes weaponize sports for political influence.
In this first season of Power Plays, we explore how authoritarian regimes have exploited the FIFA World Cup over the last century: from Italy’s fascists in 1934, to Argentina’s military junta in 1978, to Russia’s kleptocratic police state in 2018, to Qatar’s monarchy built on the backs of exploited migrant workers in 2022. We also look ahead to future World Cups in 2030 and 2034, which will be hosted — and used — by authoritarian regimes in Morocco and Saudi Arabia.
The beautiful game isn’t just played on the field.
Power Plays reveals what’s happening beyond the ceremonies and headlines: the human consequences of events that billions of people watch around the world. Whether you like football or geopolitics — whether you plan to watch the World Cup or turn it off in protest — these stories matter.
Episodes 1 and 2 of Power Plays are out now on all podcast platforms.
