{"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":"3. Pussy Riot and Putin’s World Cup","slug":"3-pussy-riot-and-putin-s-world-cup","published_at":"2026-05-28T11:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/power-plays-7863950/3-pussy-riot-and-putin-s-world-cup","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/power-plays-7863950","url":"https://hrf.org/podcast/power-plays/","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/787a3e19-d4f8-47e2-bc19-a7fb1e3bbcf2.mp3","summary":"In 2015, Swiss authorities—working with the FBI—raided a luxury hotel in Zurich and arrested top FIFA officials in a corruption scandal tied to how World Cups were awarded. Three years later, Russia hosted the tournament anyway. In Putin’s Russia, repression was not hidden. Journalists were silenced. Political opponents were imprisoned. And yet, as millions of fans arrived and billions watched, the country projected an image of openness, efficiency, and national pride. In this episode, we trace how Russia secured the World Cup amid FIFA corruption—and how that image was challenged during the final, when Pussy Riot stormed the pitch, revealing the risks of dissent. In this episode, you’ll learn: How FBI agents arrested FIFA officials Why Russia kept the 2018 World Cup despite the scandal How Putin spent $50 billion on the Sochi Olympics How FIFA’s voting system made corruption possible Why Russia’s human rights abuses were already widely known What Pussy Riot risked by storming the World Cup final What their protest revealed about power in Putin’s Russia 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":"In 2015, Swiss authorities—working with the FBI—raided a luxury hotel in Zurich and arrested top FIFA officials in a corruption scandal tied to how World…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2754,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/power-plays-7863950/episodes/3-pussy-riot-and-putin-s-world-cup/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/power-plays-7863950/3-pussy-riot-and-putin-s-world-cup.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}