World Cup / World Politics

This summer, much of the world will observe the quadrennial ritual of the FIFA Men’s World Cup. While fans debate the likely winner, many will also consider the political ramifications of the world’s most popular sporting event. Like all mega-spectacles, World Cup ‘26 offers a lens into the politics of the moment.

This event, organized by the Columbia Global Center Paris, will feature panelists Frank Andre Guridy, Laurent Dubois, and Maboula Soumahoro as they lend their expertise in history, politics, and global sporting cultures to address the social and racial questions surrounding the tournament.

Speakers

• Frank Andre Guridy, Professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies and History at Columbia University, Director of the Eric H. Holder Initiative for Civil and Political Rights
• Laurent Dubois, John L. Nau III Bicentennial Professor, co-director of the Democracy Initiative at the University of Virginia
• Maboula Soumahoro, Associate Professor in the English Department at the University of Tours, 2023-2024 fellow at the Institute for Ideas and Imagination, 2022-2023 visiting professor for the Mellon Arts Project in African American and African Diaspora Studies at Columbia University