An Antifascist Guide to the World Cup—With Alex ShephardÂ
It turns out there’s a not-insignificant intersection between the World Cup, democracy, and authoritarianism.
The Nation Podcasts
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An Antifascist Guide to the World Cup w/ Alex Shephard / Fighting Fascism
We swear to god, we haven’t turned into a sports podcast (despite all Matt’s efforts). But it turns out there’s a not-insignificant intersection between the World Cup, democracy, and authoritarianism. So we invited Alex Shephard—a senior editor and writer at the New Republic and founder of Golden Goal, a literary magazine about the 2026 World Cup—to walk us through the dramas, controversies, and political implications of the global tournament that’s kicking off this week. Whether you’re obsessed with sports, like Matt, or have barely heard of them, like Aaron, there’s something in this conversation for you.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino holds the FIFA World Cup winner’s trophy while speaking during the FIFA World Cup 2026 International Broadcast Center Grand Opening ceremony.
(Sam Hodde / Getty Images)We swear to God, we haven’t turned into a sports podcast (despite all Matt’s efforts). But it turns out there’s a not-insignificant intersection between the World Cup, democracy, and authoritarianism. So we invited Alex Shephard—a senior editor and writer at The New Republic and founder of Golden Goal, a literary magazine about the 2026 World Cup—to walk us through the dramas, controversies, and political implications of the global tournament that’s kicking off this week. Whether you’re obsessed with sports, like Matt, or have barely heard of them, like Aaron, there’s something in this conversation for you.
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The Nation Podcasts
Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.
Borderlands w/ Ken Salazar / Fighting Fascism
This one’s a little different. Aaron, Matt, and Jonathan talk with Ken Salazar—former US Senator from Colorado, Secretary of the Interior under Obama, and Ambassador to Mexico under Biden—about why Democrats need to rethink their approach to the US-Mexico border and start treating immigration not as a liability to be managed, but a genuine opportunity to be seized. We also discuss the politics of Mexico and Ken’s experiences with AMLO, Mexico’s former insanely popular populist president, and Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s current insanely popular populist president. Aaron even tries to get a little feisty with Ken about his climate record, but fails spectacularly due to Ken’s kind grandpa demeanor. Oh well.
Check out Ken Salazar’s new book, Borderlands.
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