FIFA Is Rotten From the Inside, Out!

In this episode, Alex starts with his thoughts on the Ketanji Brown Jackson hearing, in which he thinks that the Republicans are just using every talking point possible to try and derail the confirmation of this qualified nominee. Then he spends the rest of the podcast looking into the controversies centered around the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). He uses the Qatar World Cup which will be played in November 2022, to discuss the issues this organization continues to face. Alex looks into the exploitation of workers in many of the countries where the World Cup takes place (such as South Africa, Brazil, and Qatar). Then he looks into the wasteful infrastructure projects that have been required for a World Cup. He finds that the projects are expensive, wasteful, neglect labor laws, and usually use vast state resources for only a few weeks of use. Later he looks into the bribery scandals, corruption charges, and FIFA’s close relationships with despots and illiberal regimes. Alex ends by talking about how inside reform is crucial because it reflects how other non-profit, international organizations are held accountable on the global stage. A research paper from the University of Colorado notes that “…If the governing body of this sport is not conducting business with integrity, it would certainly have a negative effect on the other things that football is a part of.”