How does a country where football is a minority sport end up hosting — and cashing in on — the biggest World Cup in history? What happens when FIFA stops behaving like a sporting federation and starts behaving like a multinational? And when the tournament generates $14 billion in a single World Cup, who's actually footing the bill?

Twelve global sponsors, three and a half million fans through the turnstiles, and a World Cup final so dull it needed penalties to save it — Peter and Afua follow the money to USA '94.

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[0:00] A World Cup arrives in a country that doesn't even like football

[3:56] João Havelange and the birth of FIFA's global sponsorship machine

[9:54] Nigeria and Saudi Arabia arrive to rewrite the football map

[19:24] The post-communist world gets its own flag on the pitch for the first time

[20:49] Hristo Stoichkov and Gheorghe Hagi become the stars of the tournament

[23:37] Andrés Escobar's own goal, and a tragedy nobody saw coming

[25:47] Brazil finally get the ending football's most-loved nation deserved

[27:00] Why an African team winning the World Cup would change everything

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Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas:

Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com

Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more.

legacy.supportingcast.fm

Stay connected with Legacy:

Instagram: @originallegacypodcast

TikTok: @legacy_productions

Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com

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