Christian Polanco (The Cooliganspodcast) talks the 2026 FIFA World Cup, sportswashing, and how teams getting punished (or not punished) for their government's behavior. We discuss the growth of American soccer, equal pay in the women's game, FIFA's treatment of Russia and Iran, the Maccabi Tel Aviv riots in Amsterdam, efforts to ban Israel from FIFA, and how fan-owned clubs in Germany approach inclusivity and identity.
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Timestamps:
00:00:00 Trailer
00:00:43 Intro
00:01:05 World Cup 2026 and What Brought Him to LA
00:02:27 How The Hooligans Podcast Started
00:04:00 American Soccer's Growth Since 1994
00:06:41 Playing Soccer at 29 and the $1M Tournament
00:07:17 Interviewing David Beckham and US Women's Players
00:11:20 Equal Pay Fight: US Women's National Team
00:15:00 Athlete Activism and Press Conference Culture
00:22:00 Maccabi Tel Aviv Riots in Amsterdam
00:26:20 Ireland's "Show Israel the Red Card" Campaign
00:57:00 Fan-Owned Clubs, Germany's 50+1 Rule, and FC St. Pauli
01:01:00 Sports Teams, Dodgers, and Compromised Values
01:06:22 Outro
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