In this episode, we take a critical look at FIFA, global sports politics, and the way major international events can reveal deeper institutional problems.

Key Topics

• Criticism of FIFA leadership and governance
• How scandals reveal an organization’s true priorities
• The political meaning of the World Cup and other major sporting events
• Large events can temporarily distract from deeper structural failures.
• Leadership is best judged under crisis, not during calm moments.
• Institutions often protect reputation before they protect integrity.

Links

• Mehreen Khan – https://x.com/MehreenKhn?lang=en
• Edward Luce – https://x.com/EdwardGLuce
• Bobby Ghosh – https://bobbyghosh.substack.com/
• Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs — belfercenter.org
• World Review with Ivo Daalder — belfercenter.org/world-review-ivo-daalder

In this episode of World Review, we explore the shifting dynamics shaping global security, from tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and U.S.-Iran brinkmanship to the political and military challenges facing Ukraine. The conversation also examines Gaza’s stalled recovery efforts and the role leadership style plays in both diplomacy and war.

Key topics include:

• Escalation risks in the Middle East
• Internal debates over U.S. military strategy
• Ukraine’s drone warfare innovation and leadership disputes
• Gaza reconstruction obstacles
• How trust, coalition-building, and execution shape international outcomes

The episode offers a sharp look at how geopolitics, technology, and political decision-making collide in real time.

Key Topics

• Renewed fighting between the United States and Iran
• Whether the Strait of Hormuz could become a toll-based choke point
• NATO unity, Trump’s unpredictability, and Europe’s response
• Greenland tensions and the future of transatlantic relations
• Russia’s fuel crisis, drone strikes, and domestic pressure on Putin
• The broader shift toward rearmament and a more fragmented world order

Links

Karin Axelsson - https://politiken.dk/person/7961_Karin_Axelsson

Anna Sauerbrey - https://ces.fas.harvard.edu/people/anna-sauerbrey

Peter Spiegel - https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/peter-spiegel/

Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs — belfercenter.org
World Review with Ivo Daalder — belfercenter.org/world-review-ivo-daalder