Does the World Cup favor democratic or autocratic nations? I did some number crunching to find out

Hosting the FIFA World Cup games can prove a propaganda win for authoritarian nations. But the data suggests the tournament favors democracies.

By: John A. Tures, LaGrange College, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 26, 2026

Words: 1,043

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 6 days ago

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By John A. Tures, LaGrange College

It is often said – by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and many others – that soccer is the “most democratic sport.” That sentiment is based in large part on the sport’s global appeal and long history of popularity across class and racial lines.

But whether that axiom applies to the quadrennial World Cup tournament is a different question.

On occasions in the past, authoritarian governments have used the …

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