In this episode, we're talking about the people's sport, football, and its fascinating relationship with anti-fascism and the political power of sport ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Host Nick Dearden speaks with Chris Lee, author of The Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism, Daniel Noroña from Amnesty International US, and Shaista Aziz, co-founder of The Three Hijabis.  

Throughout history, authoritarian regimes have used international sporting events to whitewash their reputations. The World Cup is usually framed as a celebration of unity and global joy around love for the sport, but this year’s events in Trump’s America are likely to become sites of repression and human rights abuses – despite Trump being given the first ever FIFA ‘Peace Prize’ earlier this year. 

In This Episode

  • Why football has become such a battleground over identity, nationalism, and resistance
  • The People’s Olympiad – the anti-fascist alternative to the 1936 Berlin Olympics
  • The human rights crisis in the United States under the Trump administration, the heightening of authoritarian practices, and erosion of the rule of law 
  • How Trump is deputising federal and local law enforcement to build a deportation machine 
  • The movement in England following the 2022 Euros to ban racism in football
  • What genuine change looks like, and when it it just “sportswashing”

  • The power of fans to change not only the game, but politics

Football Against Fascism 

Website

World Cup Chaos Tracker 


Chris Lee 

Blog: Outside Write

Book: The Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism
Instagram

Amnesty International 

Report: Humanity Must Win: Defending Rights, Tackling Repression at the 2026 FIFA World Cup 

World Cup Travel Advisory

Website

Instagram 

The Three Hijabis

LinkedIn

Twitter/X 

ABOUT THE PODCAST

COUNTER•POWER is brought to you by Stop Trump Coalition, Another Europe Is Possible and Global Justice Now, three organisations at the centre of the new global resistance. 

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Music(cc): Intro R&B instrumental loop, Mcgrogo (Freesound.org)

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