{"podcast":{"title":"Power Plays","slug":"power-plays-7863950","podcast_index_feed_id":7863950,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/power-plays/","website_url":"https://hrf.org/podcast/power-plays/","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/c35a0665-c59d-4697-ad69-888e0ef2d773/Untitled-design-2.png","author":"Human Rights Foundation","episode_count":4,"summary":"Behind your favorite sport, there is always something else at play. Power Plays is a new investigative podcast from the Human Rights Foundation hosted by sports journalist and HRF Sports and Dictators Program Lead Karim Zidan, exposing how authoritarian regimes weaponize sports for political influence. Season 1 explores the regimes that have exploited the FIFA World Cup over the last century, from Italy’s fascists in 1934, to Argentina’s military junta in 1978, to Russia’s kleptocratic police state in 2018, to Qatar’s monarchy built on the backs of exploited migrant workers in 2022. We also look ahead to the 2030 and 2034 World Cups in Morocco and Saudi Arabia. Whether you like football or geopolitics — whether you plan to watch the World Cup or turn it off in protest — these stories matter far beyond the game. This podcast was produced by Elie Bleier, Robert Scaramuccia, and HRF’s multimedia team.","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/power-plays-7863950"},"episode":{"title":"2. Pelé, the Dirty Wars, and the Monster in the Streets","slug":"2-pel-the-dirty-wars-and-the-monster-in-the-streets","published_at":"2026-05-21T11:45:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/power-plays-7863950/2-pel-the-dirty-wars-and-the-monster-in-the-streets","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/power-plays-7863950","url":"https://hrf.org/podcast/power-plays/","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/31cdf8f9-2a71-42d6-b848-904648586ddc.mp3","summary":"By 1978, the World Cup was a global spectacle—broadcasted into millions of homes and increasingly valuable to those in power. That year, it came to Argentina, under a military dictatorship. Just miles from the stadiums, thousands were being detained, tortured, and disappeared, while inside them, there were celebrations and a carefully constructed image of national unity. Power Plays is a podcast about how authoritarian governments use sport to make their power look legitimate—shaping perception and controlling the stories the world is told. In this episode, that strategy spreads from one country to the next. From Mexico to Germany to Argentina, regimes use the World Cup to project power and shape how they’re seen by the world. In this episode, you’ll learn: Mexico 1970 & the rise of global TV audiences Germany 1974 & the tournament’s expansion The 1978 World Cup in Buenos Aires, near detention & torture sites Videla presenting the trophy as Argentina won The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo protesting Argentina’s controversial 6–0 win over Peru The junta’s effort to present Argentina as stable and unified Connect : Website: hrf.org Instagram: @hrf YouTube: @humanrightsfdn Facebook: humanrightsfoundation X: @HRF Coming soon! We’ve partnered with La Media Inglesa to bring you the full episode on YouTube, premiering in June 2026. Created by Karim Zidan and Elie Bleier . Produced by Elie Bleier and Robert Scaramuccia . Media strategy by Guillermo Purchese and Marielle Marlys .","meta_description":"By 1978, the World Cup was a global spectacle—broadcasted into millions of homes and increasingly valuable to those in power. That year, it came to Argent…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2350,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/power-plays-7863950/episodes/2-pel-the-dirty-wars-and-the-monster-in-the-streets/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/power-plays-7863950/2-pel-the-dirty-wars-and-the-monster-in-the-streets.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}