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βš½πŸ† The Dark Side of The World Cup: Episode 1

Join us for the first episode of a three-part series where Mehdi dives deep into the history of corruption, politics, and authoritarianism that has long been intertwined with FIFA and the World Cup.

Millions around the world are getting ready for the most-watched sporting event on the planet – the FIFA World Cup, which will be mostly taking place in the United States.

Though World Cups tend to create a festival atmosphere associated with joy and excitement, the darker forces operating behind the scenes tend only to be highlighted when the tournament is happening in certain parts of the world.

At Zeteo, we feel it’s important to talk about the sinister side of the World Cup wherever it’s happening. That’s what makes us, us. So, over the coming weeks, we’re going to take you on a journey through β€˜The Dark Side of the World Cup’ – full of history, scandal and absurdity – in three investigative deep-dives.

Our first episode? β€˜The Long Trump Shadow’

US President Donald Trump holds the World Cup Trophy on Aug. 22, 2025. Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/ AFP via Getty Images

We have to start this year’s tournament with Donald Trump, who is using the World Cup to feed his ego (no surprise!) but also to distract us from his various misdeeds and crimes behind the scenes.

Don’t miss out on Episode 1, in which Mehdi breaks down how Trump has made the tournament all about himself with the aid of experts who unpack FIFA’s complicity, the Western world’s hypocrisy, and how ICE might play a dark role at this tournament.

There’s no better way to get ready for the World Cup than to understand what’s been happening in the circles of power around it.

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Paid subscribers can watch the full episode, without a paywall, above.

Free subscribers can watch a 3-minute preview. Consider becoming a paid subscriber to Zeteo to watch the full episode, the next two episodes, and all of the rest of Zeteo’s award-winning and original content.

Let us know what you thought in the comments! And stay tuned for Episodes 2 and 3 coming very soon.


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