The System That Runs World Soccer (And Why It Broke)

About this episode

FIFA started as a handful of Europeans who wanted to play soccer across borders. It became one of the most powerful and corrupt organizations in sports history, controlled by 22 men voting behind closed doors. For nearly two decades, one man sat at the center of it all: Sepp Blatter. He wasn't the richest official in the room. He didn't need to be. He had something better: the votes. And he knew exactly how to keep them. So how does a Swiss bureaucrat become the most powerful man in the world's most popular sport? This is a story about soccer, but also about power, money, and how global systems quietly get built ... and then break under their own weight. Guest: Simon Kuper, journalist at the Financial Times and author of "World Cup Fever." Join the knowledge collective: https://www.join1440.com Check out 1440's video deep-dives: https://youtube.com/@1440explores https://youtube.com/@1440originals More resources: https://join1440.com/t/the-american-presidency Credits: A production of Rhyme Media for 1440 Media Host: Sony Kassam Producer: Nicolo Majnoni Editor: Dan Bobkoff Fact Checker: Alice Jones Sound Designer: Jay Cowit Executive Producers (1440): Sony Kassam and