Genie Godula is pleased to welcome Simon Chadwick, Professor of AfroEurasian Sport and Specialist of 21st century global sport. On the eve of the FIFA World Cup, Chadwick offers a sobering assessment of the political realities surrounding the world’s biggest sporting event amid the convergence of hard-line immigration policies, conflict, diplomatic tensions, security concerns, and civil unrest. From the exclusion of a Somali referee to uncertainty surrounding Iranian football staff and supporters, Chadwick suggests that sport and geopolitics have become inseparable.