Singers Andrea Bocelli and EJAE perform during the opening ceremony before the FIFA World Cup Group A match between Mexico and South Africa, in Mexico City, on June 11, 2026.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup now under way, this Frontline package looks at football’s long, uneasy relationship with politics and power.
From Maradona’s enduring legacy as a rebel icon to questions over how the Trump administration’s politics could shape the tournament in North America, the pieces trace how the game has always carried more than sport.
Other stories look at football’s place in everyday life—from how nations paused for matches to how fans in India celebrated a final played thousands of miles away.
