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Episode details

World Service,31 Jul 2026,12 mins

Why are we talking about the World Cup again?

What in the World

Available for over a year

It’s less than two weeks after Spain won the men’s World Cup, but suddenly the tournament is back in the headlines. This time it’s because of a plan from Fifa’s President Gianni Infantino to sell a stake in their tournaments to private investors. Infantino says it’s a chance to “turbocharge” the development of the game - and national associations have been offered millions of dollars if they agree to the plans. It’s fair to say the plans haven’t gone down well with everyone - with European’s governing body Uefa saying their members won’t go to any World Cups (men’s or women’s) if the plans go through. We talk to BBC Sport’s Isaac Fanin (fresh from a month at the World Cup) about what the plans are, what the response has been and what might happen next. NB: We recorded this episode on Friday morning and it’s all changing so fast we have to keep rewriting this description… Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producer: Emma-Louise Amanshia Editor: Verity Wilde

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