As the FIFA World Cup unfolds across North America, accusations of discrimination, political interference and double standards are overshadowing the tournament.

With Iranian players forced to train outside the United States, a Somali referee denied entry despite holding valid travel documents, and certain countries subjected to stricter immigration protocols, is football’s biggest tournament living up to its promise of uniting the world? And is FIFA applying its own rules equally? 

Former Iran national team coach Afshin Ghotbi argues politics has once again infiltrated the beautiful game, saying “the American players are treated as athletes” while “the Iranian players are so tied to the ideology of their government" — a standard he calls “unfair”.

Former US player and academic Jules Boykoff says it's “hard to know where the performative security theatre begins and the straight-up racism ends”. He adds that “when organisations like FIFA say that they're neutral, all too often that means siding with the powerful”.

Has the 2026 World Cup become less a celebration of football and more a reflection of global politics? On this episode of Bigger Than Five.