Masters of Scale

World Cup kickoff: Goals, greed, and geopolitics, with ESPN’s Sam Borden

June 9, 2026·32 min·6-min readinterviewsports
Podzilla Summary (6 min)
TLDR
Despite FIFA's controversial financial practices and high ticket prices that risk excluding global fans, the World Cup remains a powerful cultural equalizer, uniting people across vast socioeconomic divides through shared passion for the game. The 2026 tournament, hosted across the U.S.,

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Guest

S

Sam Borden

interview on Masters of Scale

Mentions

Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.

People

Sam BordenBob SafianGianni InfantinoHarry Kane

Companies

FIFAESPNNikeU.S. Soccer Federation

Topics

FintechGeopoliticsGlobal NewsInvestigative JournalismSoccerSports Betting

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