The World Cup of Shame, Part 1

08/04/22 • 25 min

1 Listener

In 1978, FIFA faced a simple choice: Play the World Cup in a nation ruled by a brutal military dictatorship, or move the tournament to a country that better represented the global values of fair play at the heart of FIFA’s mission. FIFA chose to chase dollars rather than stand up for human rights. This is Argentina ‘78, the World Cup of Shame, Part 1.

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See No Evil

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In this episode, you’ll hear how the Lords of Soccer abused their positions to prop up and promote a violent dictatorship in Chile, all in the name of profit.

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The World Cup of Shame, Part 2

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After spending millions of dollars they didn’t have to build World Cup infrastructure, and disappearing anyone opposed to their lavish plans, Argentina’s military junta turns its eyes on an even bigger prize – a World Cup victory on its home soil in 1978.

How far would General Videla and his henchmen go to win? And would FIFA ignore their blatant efforts to rig the World Cup?

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Lords of Soccer - The World Cup of Shame, Part 1

Transcript

Speaker 100:00:05.040

Now you might ask yourself, why does it matter to me that rich men and some far off bunker in Switzerland are taking bribes? As you'll hear in today's episode, it's because this corruption is rooted in a system that uses the beautiful game to perpetuate abuses that go well beyond rich men stealing from other Richmond. The World Cup was played in Argentina, a country ruled by a brutal dictator who saw a chance to use the tournament as a public rel