The Geopolitics of the World Cup

The Geopolitics of the World Cup

This week, the largest-ever World Cup will commence. Across the three host countries—Canada, Mexico, and the United States—48 teams will play 104 matches in 16 cities. But it also comes amid a particularly fraught geopolitical backdrop. Not only have the three hosts spent the last year sparring over immigration, trade, and even national sovereignty, but one of them, the United States, is at war with fellow participant Iran. Top soccer expert and Times economics editor Mehreen Khan joins FP Live to explore just how exceptional this World Cup is.  Plus, Ravi shares his read on troubles for China’s solar industry.  Financial Times: Adam Tooze: Wasting China’s solar panel surplus is madness [https://www.ft.com/content/b6cac184-75a4-47ab-94c5-5eb8c92cd407] The Economist: China’s world-beating solar industry is in turmoil [https://www.economist.com/china/2026/05/26/chinas-world-beating-solar-industry-is-in-turmoil] FP Coverage of the World Cup [https://foreignpolicy.com/projects/world-cup-fifa-travel-team-soccer-history-politics/?tpcc=fpl_pod] Bobby Ghosh: Sleeping in Mexico, Playing in America [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/05/mexico-america-trump-iran-fifa-olympics-world-cup/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=bWV4aWNvLWFtZXJpY2EtdHJ1bXAtaXJhbi1maWZhLW9seW1waWNzLXdvcmxkLWN1cA==&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd&tpcc=fpl_pod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

How to End the Iran War

What would it take to end the Iran war? What exit strategies are still available to the United States? Robert Malley, a former lead negotiator of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and the Biden administration’s special envoy for Iran, joins FP’s Ravi Agrawal to discuss the current talks to open the Strait of Hormuz.  Plus, Ravi offers his read on why U.S. President Donald Trump is wavering between two extremes on a cease-fire deal. New York Times: Robert Malley and Stephen Wertheim: Of Course Trump Bombed Iran [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/opinion/iran-trump-war-foreign-policy.html] Wall Street Journal: Condoleezza Rice: What the U.S. Has Accomplished in Iran [https://www.wsj.com/opinion/what-the-u-s-has-accomplished-in-iran-60b21e52] Ali Hashem: The World Keeps Asking Iran the Wrong Question [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/19/iran-politics-strategy-war-sanctions-hormuz/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi1wb2xpdGljcy1zdHJhdGVneS13YXItc2FuY3Rpb25zLWhvcm11eg==&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd&tpcc=fpl_pod] Michael Hirsh: Why the U.S. Is Headed for a Long War With Iran [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/12/mohsen-rezaei-iran-war-hard-liners-trump-nuclear-negotiations/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=bW9oc2VuLXJlemFlaS1pcmFuLXdhci1oYXJkLWxpbmVycy10cnVtcC1udWNsZWFyLW5lZ290aWF0aW9ucw==&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd&tpcc=fpl_pod] Matthew Kroenig: Iran Does Not Have a Right to Enrich Uranium [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/11/trump-iran-nuclear-enrichment-uranium-ceasefire-negotiations/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtaXJhbi1udWNsZWFyLWVucmljaG1lbnQtdXJhbml1bS1jZWFzZWZpcmUtbmVnb3RpYXRpb25z&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd&tpcc=fpl_pod] Sina Azodi: The Myth of Zero Enrichment [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/19/iran-war-nuclear-deal-uranium-enrichment-negotiations-jcpoa-united-states/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi13YXItbnVjbGVhci1kZWFsLXVyYW5pdW0tZW5yaWNobWVudC1uZWdvdGlhdGlvbnMtamNwb2EtdW5pdGVkLXN0YXRlcw==&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd&tpcc=fpl_pod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

How to Survive a Chaotic World

If the rules-based order is broken, what comes next? And who will lead it? Mark Leonard argues in his new book, Surviving Chaos: Geopolitics When the Rules Fail, that the coming system will be “un-order,” governed not by China or the United States but by no one at all. Are states responding quickly enough? Leonard, who is the director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, joins FP Live’s Ravi Agrawal to explore how policymakers should adjust. Hal Brands: Three Scenarios for a Post-Trump World [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/23/post-trump-world-order-cold-war-spheres-of-influence/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=cG9zdC10cnVtcC13b3JsZC1vcmRlci1jb2xkLXdhci1zcGhlcmVzLW9mLWluZmx1ZW5jZQ==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Stephen M. Walt: Chinese Hegemony Might Be Happening [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/12/china-hegemony-asia-trump-summit/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=Y2hpbmEtaGVnZW1vbnktYXNpYS10cnVtcC1zdW1taXQ=&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd&tpcc=fpl_pod] James Palmer: China Doesn’t Always Win When the U.S. Loses [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/21/iran-war-china-us-competition-geopolitics/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi13YXItY2hpbmEtdXMtY29tcGV0aXRpb24tZ2VvcG9saXRpY3M=&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd&tpcc=fpl_pod] Michael Hirsch: After the Nation-State [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/27/book-review-after-nations-dasgupta-westad-prasad-milanovic/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=Ym9vay1yZXZpZXctYWZ0ZXItbmF0aW9ucy1kYXNndXB0YS13ZXN0YWQtcHJhc2FkLW1pbGFub3ZpYw==&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd&tpcc=fpl_pod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Trump, Xi, and a New Balance of Power

U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing for his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to great fanfare but left with little to show for it. What does the Trump-Xi summit reveal about the balance of power between the world’s two biggest economies? Rana Mitter, a top historian of China, joins FP Live to discuss where the world’s most important relationship is headed. Plus, Ravi shares his read on why the Iran war may be Trump’s greatest failure.  Ravi Agrawal: Iran Could Be Trump’s Greatest Failure [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/18/iran-war-trump-foreign-policy-failure-energy-crisis-military/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi13YXItdHJ1bXAtZm9yZWlnbi1wb2xpY3ktZmFpbHVyZS1lbmVyZ3ktY3Jpc2lzLW1pbGl0YXJ5&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd&tpcc=fpl_pod] James Palmer: The Trump-Xi Summit Was Remarkably Banal [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/15/trump-xi-summit-china-us-presidential-visit/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAteGktc3VtbWl0LWNoaW5hLXVzLXByZXNpZGVudGlhbC12aXNpdA==&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd&tpcc=fpl_pod] Fareed Zakaria: Trump’s China Pragmatism Is Welcome [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/18/trump-xi-meeting-china-united-states-economics-trade-great-power-competition/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAteGktbWVldGluZy1jaGluYS11bml0ZWQtc3RhdGVzLWVjb25vbWljcy10cmFkZS1ncmVhdC1wb3dlci1jb21wZXRpdGlvbg==&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd&tpcc=fpl_pod] Stephen M. Walt: Chinese Hegemony Might Be Happening [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/12/china-hegemony-asia-trump-summit/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=Y2hpbmEtaGVnZW1vbnktYXNpYS10cnVtcC1zdW1taXQ=&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd&tpcc=fpl_pod] James Palmer: China Doesn’t Always Win When the U.S. Loses [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/21/iran-war-china-us-competition-geopolitics/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi13YXItY2hpbmEtdXMtY29tcGV0aXRpb24tZ2VvcG9saXRpY3M=&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd&tpcc=fpl_pod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Is Russia the Unintended Winner of Trump’s Iran War?

There’s little doubt that the conflict in Iran has hurt much of the world economy. But not Russia. Data suggests that the Kremlin has already made billions of dollars in additional oil revenue since the United States and Israel attacked Iran. But beyond just cash, how much will this change President Vladimir Putin’s broader strategy? And what does this mean for the fate of the war in Ukraine? Alexander Gabuev, the director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, joins FP Live to explain how Russia is navigating a moment of particular global flux. Plus, Ravi offers his read on U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing. Christian Caryl: Vladimir Putin Is Much Weaker Than You Think [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/07/russsia-ukraine-war-putin-zelensky-victory-parade-attacks-drones-moscow/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=cnVzc3NpYS11a3JhaW5lLXdhci1wdXRpbi16ZWxlbnNreS12aWN0b3J5LXBhcmFkZS1hdHRhY2tzLWRyb25lcy1tb3Njb3c=&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd&tpcc=fpl_pod] Sean Wiswesser: Don’t Fall for Rumors of Putin’s Weakness [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/12/russia-putin-opposition-war-ukraine-fsb-security-services-dissidents-dissent-dictator-authoritarianism/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=cnVzc2lhLXB1dGluLW9wcG9zaXRpb24td2FyLXVrcmFpbmUtZnNiLXNlY3VyaXR5LXNlcnZpY2VzLWRpc3NpZGVudHMtZGlzc2VudC1kaWN0YXRvci1hdXRob3JpdGFyaWFuaXNt&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd&tpcc=fpl_pod] Keith Johnson: Russia Is Making Bank on Trump’s Iran War [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/21/russia-oil-prices-putin-trump-iran-war/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=cnVzc2lhLW9pbC1wcmljZXMtcHV0aW4tdHJ1bXAtaXJhbi13YXI=&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd&tpcc=fpl_pod] Christian Caryl: How Ukraine Benefited From Trump’s Iran War [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/09/ukraine-benefit-trump-iran-war-russia-drones/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dWtyYWluZS1iZW5lZml0LXRydW1wLWlyYW4td2FyLXJ1c3NpYS1kcm9uZXM=&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd&tpcc=fpl_pod] Alexey Kovalev: Russia’s War Boom Masks an Economic Implosion [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/28/russia-putin-war-ukraine-economy-industry-labor-shortage-demographic-implosion/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=cnVzc2lhLXB1dGluLXdhci11a3JhaW5lLWVjb25vbXktaW5kdXN0cnktbGFib3Itc2hvcnRhZ2UtZGVtb2dyYXBoaWMtaW1wbG9zaW9u&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd&tpcc=fpl_pod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]