2. Pelé, the Dirty Wars, and the Monster in the Streets

By 1978, the World Cup was a global spectacle—broadcasted into millions of homes and increasingly valuable to those in power. That year, it came to Argentina, under a military dictatorship.

Just miles from the stadiums, thousands were being detained, tortured, and disappeared, while inside them, there were celebrations and a carefully constructed image of national unity.

Power Plays is a podcast about how authoritarian governments use sport to make their power look legitimate—shaping perception and controlling the stories the world is told. In this episode, that strategy spreads from one country to the next. From Mexico to Germany to Argentina, regimes use the World Cup to project power and shape how they’re seen by the world.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Mexico 1970 & the rise of global TV audiences
• Germany 1974 & the tournament’s expansion
• The 1978 World Cup in Buenos Aires, near detention & torture sites
• Videla presenting the trophy as Argentina won
• The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo protesting
• Argentina’s controversial 6–0 win over Peru
• The junta’s effort to present Argentina as stable and unified

Connect:

• Website: hrf.org
• Instagram: @hrf
• YouTube: @humanrightsfdn
• Facebook: humanrightsfoundation
• X: @HRF

Coming soon! We’ve partnered with La Media Inglesa to bring you the full episode on YouTube, premiering in June 2026.

Created by Karim Zidan and Elie Bleier.

Produced by Elie Bleier and Robert Scaramuccia.

Media strategy by Guillermo Purchese and Marielle Marlys.