Welcome to Sports Politika, a media venture founded by investigative journalist and researcher Karim Zidan that strives to help you understand how sports and politics shape the world around us. My mission is to offer an independent platform for accessible journalism that raises awareness and empowers understanding.
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I’m delighted to announce the launch of Power Plays, a narrative audio series focusing on the intersection of sports, politics, and authoritarianism.
Season 1 looks at how authoritarian regimes use FIFA’s showpiece event, the World Cup, to tighten their grip on power. Broken down into five episodes, this first season will feature some of the most renowned voices in global football, including historians and renowned authors Jonathan Wilson and David Goldblatt, as well as dissidents like 2022 World Cup whistleblower Abdullah Ibhais and Pussy Riot member Nika Nikulshina.
From Mussolini’s fascist Italy in 1934 to the bloodstained grip of Argentina’s military junta in 1978; from Putin’s kleptocratic police state in Russia, 2018, to Qatar in 2022, the glittering Gulf monarchy erected on the toil and suffering of migrant workers, we leave no stone unturned in our descent into the dark and dirty underbelly of World Cup history. We also look ahead to this year’s World Cup, as well as those in 2030 and 2034, when the World Cup heads to Saudi Arabia.
Power Plays was created by me, Karim Zidan, and Elie Bleier. It was produced by Elie Bleier and Robert Scarammucia, and is presented by the Human Rights Foundation.
The series will begin airing on Thursday, May 21, 2026 and will conclude on June 10, 2026, right before the start of the 2026 World Cup.
Subscribe now on your favourite podcast platform to never miss an episode!
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