World Cup tickets are going for as high as $45,000. Not in most of our budgets. How did things get so out of hand when the tournament's founder intended to bridge class divides? Today on the show, the origins of the World Cup, from World War I to Mussolini’s fascist Italy, and how it grew into the multibillion-dollar spectacle the world is gearing up to watch.
Guests:Jonathan Wilson, columnist at
The Guardian and author of
The Power and the Glory: A New History of the World CupSimon Kuper, columnist at the
Financial Times and author of
World Cup FeverSupport shows like Throughline with NPR+. Sign up today at plus.npr.orgSee
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