Christian Polanco (The Cooligans podcast) talks the 2026 FIFA World Cup, sportswashing, and how teams getting punished (or not punished) for their government's behavior. We discuss the growth of American soccer, equal pay in the women's game, FIFA's treatment of Russia and Iran, the Maccabi Tel Aviv riots in Amsterdam, efforts to ban Israel from FIFA, and how fan-owned clubs in Germany approach inclusivity and identity.

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Timestamps:

00:00:00 Trailer

00:00:43 Intro

00:01:05 World Cup 2026 and What Brought Him to LA

00:02:27 How The Hooligans Podcast Started

00:04:00 American Soccer's Growth Since 1994

00:06:41 Playing Soccer at 29 and the $1M Tournament

00:07:17 Interviewing David Beckham and US Women's Players

00:11:20 Equal Pay Fight: US Women's National Team

00:15:00 Athlete Activism and Press Conference Culture

00:22:00 Maccabi Tel Aviv Riots in Amsterdam

00:26:20 Ireland's "Show Israel the Red Card" Campaign

00:57:00 Fan-Owned Clubs, Germany's 50+1 Rule, and FC St. Pauli

01:01:00 Sports Teams, Dodgers, and Compromised Values

01:06:22 Outro

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