It turns out there’s a not-insignificant intersection between the World Cup, democracy, and authoritarianism.
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)
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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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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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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.
Something weird is happening on the far right. MAGA influencers are calling out the pork industry. RFK Jr. is taking credit for militant animal rescue actions. And the animal welfare movement is taking notice. Astra Taylor joins us again to talk about a forthcoming article she and Aaron co-authored on the shifting political terrain around animal rights. The core question: Could this be the new MAHA (Make America Healthy Again)? A few years ago, it was impossible to imagine that crunchy moms who hate Monsanto would become a key part of Trump’s electoral coalition. But here we are, in part because Democrats created a vacuum on health issues that the right stepped into. We think something similar could be happening today with animal rights—which, if the left doesn’t wake up, could be very bad for all of us.
Fighting Fascism Podcast is produced by Nik Damants in collaboration with The Nation.
Intro song and music by Horse Radish.
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Matt DaSilvaMatt DaSilva is a co-host of the Fighting Fascism podcast.
Aaron RegunbergTwitterAaron Regunberg is a climate lawyer, a contributing editor at The New Republic, and a former Rhode Island state representative.
Jonathan SmuckerTwitterJonathan Smucker is cofounder and executive director of Popular Comms, a cofounder of Pennsylvania Stands Up, and the author of Hegemony How-To: A Roadmap for Radicals. He has worked for over 25 years as a political organizer, campaigner, and strategist, and has trained thousands of organizers and social movement participants.