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Above: The full video of Bobby and Krishna schooling me. Here is a folder that has AI-created scripts and two kinds of summaries of the show.
BOBBY GHOSH HAS REPORTED FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD (including as Baghdad bureau chief at the height of the Iraq War), but he’ll tell you that, on any given day, football (soccer) is his true passion. He can seamlessly blend the beautiful game with the world he has covered for decades — as he did with me and my football-knower son, Krishna Sreenivasan, 48 hours before the World Cup final (video above). Please subscribe to Bobby’s terrific Substack, Bobby Ghosh: http://ghoshworld.substack.com
America’s host-country status for this tournament was unique solely because of the Trump presidency. In the lead-up, everything was in question. Would ICE disrupt things? Would people be denied visas? Was America capable of pulling it all off? Bobby’s thoughts on the World Cup are interesting on their own—even more so given the political environment.
Every four years I get into the World Cup, but never like this year. The story lines (from Norwegian and Scottish fans, to Cape Verde’s Cinderella story, to Lamine Yamal's 3-year-old half-brother, Keyne) were so compelling. But I have so many questions — no naive, some not; after all, to me, “football” is 🏈 not ⚽ — because I don’t know enough about the game, its flow, its rules, its history and its love of flopping. Hence the interview! Full questions and answers in the video. Here are some summarized answers.
What surprised him most about the World Cup?
The biggest surprise was the enthusiasm of American fans attending games in person. Despite concerns about visa restrictions and the political climate, the mood of the tournament was not greatly affected, suggesting that domestic American interest in football has grown significantly. The Cinderella performances of Cape Verde and Norway were also highlights — Cape Verde held both finalists (Spain and Argentina) to draws in regulation, which was remarkable for a team making its World Cup debut.
How did the treatment of the Iranian team affect the tournament?
The Trump administration’s requirement that the Iranian team sleep in Mexico and fly in on game days was described as “utterly disgraceful.” As a World Cup host, the U.S. was obligated to accommodate all qualifying teams. Bobby credited Mexico for stepping up to host the Iranian delegation. He noted that even without these obstacles, Iran’s team was not strong enough to advance far, but the situation generated sympathy for them.
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Indeed, Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin made it a point to treat the Iranian football team as badly as possible at every turn. There is nothing uglier than spite, and these levels of it from the highest office in the land is, yet again, awful.
The pain of the war with Iran has been felt at home and abroad, and it is visceral. The U.S. has spent around $100 billion—we don’t know because we do not get information from the administration—and 17 American soldiers have died. The toll in Iran and Lebanon has been far more severe. This is clearly an abject failure and also happens to be yet another squandering of Americans’ amazing ability to generate a soft power juggernaut. This World Cup has repeatedly shown some of the best of what Americans can offer the world—inviting, fun, helpful and generally warm (that’s a link to my America at 250 essay on July 5, 2026).
As with football, politics leans heavily on expectations and example-setting. I thought this exchange on the prevalence of flopping was so indicative of so many things about our society. I had to ask my experts why flopping is so prevalent in professional football. Bobby condemned the practice categorically as “a form of cheating” and “one of the most disgraceful aspects of the sport.”
Enablement and permission structures matter across our society, from football to politics. Alas, we are seeing the corrosion of long-held standards everywhere.
NOTE: Bobby and Krishna schooling me in football history and present is part of a new, exclusive salon series that focuses on people teaching me things: "X TEACHES SREE ABOUT Y." Please come along with me as I learn from fab folks. As a perk for If you’d like to nominate you or someone else to teach me something, please do. And, yes, this is a poor man’s Pablo Torre Finds Out (the show that has broken global exclusives, won a Pulitzer Prize and is now distributed by the NYT’s The Athletic)!
REMINDER: Please subscribe to Bobby’s terrific Substack, Bobby Ghosh. One last thought:
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55% of 2026 is already over. What will you do with the remaining 45% of the year? LMK and I’ll see you made it all the way down here.
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