Beyond the Pitch: Why the 2026 FIFA World Cup Could Become a Defining Event of the 21st Century

The World’s Largest Sporting Event Arrives at a Critical Historical Moment.
The FIFA World Cup has always been more than football. It is one of the very few events capable of capturing the attention of billions of people simultaneously, transcending borders, languages, religions, and political systems. Yet the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, may prove to be significant for reasons that extend far beyond sport.

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FC Taxpayer: How Orbán Is Buying Influence through Football in the Region

In the first part of the series, I outlined how the Hungarian Prime Minister has used public money to influence football teams and use football for his political advantage. But his playground is not only Hungary. Over the last decade, Viktor Orbán has turned football into a powerful international political tool, funneling millions of euros into foreign clubs, particularly in countries with Hungarian minorities. While these investments are often framed as cultural and sports diplomacy, they serve a much broader purpose: expanding Hungary’s influence in Central and Eastern Europe.

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FC Taxpayer: How Orbán Turned Football into His Playground

“The Prime Minister is helping to save the club,” ran the headline of Viktor Orbán’s favorite state-run sports daily the other day. I had to glance at it twice to ensure we had not returned to the 1950s when Communist Party leaders and commissars made every sports decision. Well, the only real difference is that during the 50s, Hungarian football was really at its peak. 

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