World Cup kickoff: Goals, greed, and geopolitics, with ESPN’s Sam Borden

As the World Cup kicks off this Thursday, scrutiny surrounds ticket prices, disrupted fan travel, potential ICE activity, and FIFA’s murky dealings. ESPN Global Sports Correspondent Sam Borden has covered this tournament from Brazil to Qatar, and he joins Rapid Response to break down the USA's real chance, what Iran's presence on American soil actually means, and whether hosting the world's biggest sporting event is a blessing or a liability right now. Plus, Borden makes the most passionate case you'll hear for why the World Cup matters more than any scoreline. Visit the Rapid Response website here: See Privacy Policy at and California Privacy Notice at .

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World Cup kickoff: Goals, greed, and geopolitics, with ESPN’s Sam Borden is an episode from Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman by WaitWhat.

This episode is 00:32:06 long.

This episode was published on Jun 9, 2026.

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